


Petals Among The Stars

by KnightOfRogues



Category: RWBY, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Crossover, F/F, F/M, Gen, RWBY - Freeform, Star Wars!au, it's pretty heckin fun to write, original trilogy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-24
Updated: 2017-08-03
Packaged: 2018-08-24 09:08:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8366521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KnightOfRogues/pseuds/KnightOfRogues
Summary: The universe is in turmoil, ripped apart by the sheer force of the Galactic Civil War. Among the conflict overtaking the stars, however, four girls's destinies will intertwine in ways they couldn't have possibly imagined, causing bonds to shatter, shadows to grow, and heroes to rise. A RWBY StarWars!AU fanfiction, probably the first of a series.





	1. A Beginning

The inky darkness of deep space stretched out as far as the officer could see, her ice-blue eyes reflecting the occasional star that flickered dimly in the sea of black. She had seen it before, of course. As an Imperial Captain, she and her crew on the Star Destroyer Impaler were used to long periods of time in space. And yet, somehow, she felt… uneasy. And that made her nervous.  
The console in front of her beeped suddenly, startling her from her trance-like state as she reached to press a few keys.  
“Captain.” The caller’s voice crackled through the intercom system. “The contact is aboard, and wishes to speak with you.”  
“Of course.” The officer said, making herself sounds more eager than she was. “Send her up to the bridge.” In the back of her mind, she knew she wasn’t interested in the slightest to meet the woman they had met here, in the middle of nowhere, but she knew the consequences would be worse than the act itself.

When she heard that she would be meeting one of Darth Vader’s operatives, she had prepared herself for what she assumed would be an Inquisitor. She shivered as she remembered her last encounter with the Imperial agents, their presences intimidating in looks, but ultimately disappointing in action. Only half-Sith, as she had later learned. When the Impaler’s passenger emerged from the lift, however, she instantly realized this being was much more than that. It frightened her.  
The woman definitely seemed young, perhaps even around the Captain’s age herself. Wavy, jet-black hair dropped to her hips, and amber eyes seemed to pierce right through the officer. She had dark armor, gleaming slightly in the lights of the bridge, and she paled slightly as she saw the lightsaber hanging from her belt, noting that it was not the ordinary design for an Inquisitor. No, this woman was far more.  
Checking to make sure her snow-white hair was in place, she carefully strode forward, politely extending her hand to this mysterious woman.  
“Welcome aboard, Agent. Weiss Schnee, Captain of the Imperial Star Destroyer Impaler.” The raven-haired woman looked at her hand with a cold disinterest before looking back up at Weiss.  
“Blake. Operative name The Black Hand.” She finally responds. Her voice was emotionless, sending chills down the captain’s back. “I am Lord Vader’s top agent, on a secret assignment.” Slowly, she began walking around Weiss, towards the windows looking over the stars. Weiss followed her.  
“My mission is simple. I am to accompany you to Sullust, from which point I am to take a smaller vessel waiting for me. While on the journey there, I have been ordered to protect your crew, and your shipment.” She repeated the words as if she was only telling her this because of an explicit command. She got serious suddenly, glaring at Weiss with those piercing eyes.

“Let me be explicitly clear. I shall reside in my quarters until we reach the destination. Under no circumstances am I to be summoned for anything less than a full on assault on the ship. Am I clear, Captain?”  
At that moment, Weiss oh-so-wanted to order her men to send this woman down the the brig. Swallowing her pride, however, she smiled, barely able to speak past her gritted teeth.  
“Understood. We’ll only call you if we truly require your assistance.”  
Blake held her gaze a moment longer before whipping around, fabric fluttering from where it was fastened to her belt.  
“I can find my own way to my cabin, captain. Pleasant journey.” Her back was turned to Weiss, but the officer could practically hear her tone dripping with disrespect for her rank. The doors finally slid shut, cutting off her view of the raven-haired Force-wielder. Only after another moment did Weiss finally sigh heavily, releasing the tension that had built itself up in her shoulders. Why did Vader’s agents always have to be so bothersome?

Suddenly she became all-too-aware of the silence in the bridge. Glancing up, she realized the other men and women in the bridge were all looking at her. Taking on a more stern-expression, she turned and face the window once more.  
“Make the jump to Sullust. I want this trip over as soon as possible.” She snapped. In a rush, the bridge burst into life once more, the hyperdrive whirring to life deep within the frame of the cruiser. Smiling grimly, the ship began to warp into lightspeed, the stars blurring into faint lines before fading away entirely, sending the Star Destroyer hurtling through space as their captain pondered over the crew.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

The shrill beeping of the alarm roused Ruby from her slumber. With a groan, she felt around for the disturber and slammed down on it as soon as she had found it. Her eyes squinted as she tried to make out the blurry numbers on the digital screen, and ultimately she decided she had slept long enough. Rolling out of her bed, she pulled on a pair of casual pants and hit the door controls.  
Light flooded through the hallways of the base, an energetic energy filling the air as men and women milled about. Yawning, she decided to check in on her fighter. Rose Squadron had scheduled combat practice, and she always preferred her X-Wing to be in prime condition.  
Humming a soft tune to herself, she strolled through the halls. Vatin-Ell had been found by this cell of the Alliance about a year prior, and the ruins from the original inhabitants had made for perfect outposts for the fledgling fighting force. The largest temple had only required mild adjustments and modifications to make a perfect hangar, fitting a majority of their ships with comfort.  
As she rounded the corner, she took in a deep breath of the air, tainted with the twinge of engine oil and hydraulic fluid. Taking one step towards her fighter, however, she heard a voice call out.  
“Commander Rose!” Freezing, the young woman turned to see Admiral Goodwitch striding towards her, every present datapad in her arms as her faint-purple cape fluttered behind her.  
“Admiral!” Ruby snapped a salute as her superior officer approached. Goodwitch tapped a few keys on her pad, not looking up at the pilot.  
“General Ozpin wants a meeting with you. He has something to discuss with you, very top secret. Please report to his quarters immediately.” The tucked a stray lock of platinum hair behind her ear, finally paying attention to the young woman before her.  
“And try to be punctual. We still need you to take Rose Squadron out this afternoon.”  
“Understood, ma’am!” Ruby smiled again, snapping another salute. Giving her a nod, the woman turned to begin ordering about a returning patrol squadron.

Well, no sense in wasting time. The woman sighed, looking forlornly at her X-Wing fighter. Sending her apologies mentally, she turned and began heading back into the base.  
Ozpin had been the first officer to arrive on the planet, and had also gotten first calls on where his office would be. Thus, Ruby had to make her way to the very top of the tower, taking a lift up the last several levels towards the General.  
As she entered the office, she took a moment to admire the decor of the room. Ozpin rarely seemed to leave, only showing up elsewhere in the base for mission briefings and special ceremonies, such as funerals or commendations. As such, he had fitted his room with computers, holoterminals, star charts, and even a wooden desk. That alone was rare, but it was carved out of a rich, dark wood, beautifully engraved all over. It always made Ruby feel as if there was a story behind it, hidden in the etchings.  
Ozpin was sitting behind that same desk as she entered, a high-backed chair behind him. He gave a faint smile, gesturing to the seat before him.  
“Commander. Please, have a seat.”  
“I’d prefer to stand, thanks.” Ruby said respectfully. Ozpin nodded, looking out the massive glass window that stretched as his hand tightened around his ever-present cane.  
“Commander Rose, I have reason to believe we will soon be in a situation that will require your particular skills, as a pilot and as a fighter.”  
“What situation, General?” She asked, leaning forward as her curiosity peaked. Ozpin said nothing for a moment, still watching the grassy plains that stretched out as far as his eyes could see.  
“Nothing is certain yet, but we may have more information in the near future. Don’t think too much on it, but also try not to take unnecessary risks in the near future, if you can manage.” The faintest grin played at the corners of his mouth, putting Ruby’s racing mind at ease.  
“Is that all, sir?” She asked. Ozpin nodded, sitting back in the chair as he began keying into the data computer on his desk.  
“Yes, Commander, that will be all. You may go about your duties.” Ruby nodded, saluting and turning back to the door. Ozpin smiled to himself as the turbolift doors slid shut, a soft hum sounding out as the young woman was sent back down into the main base. He pulled a mug towards him, gently sipping at the beverage as he contemplated the events that were soon to spark into motion. On one hand, this could be the push of destiny that the universe called for. If it went wrong, however… it would spell destruction for all freedom of the galaxy.

He prayed to whatever forces may be that the right thing was done.


	2. First Meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ey ey ey chapter 2 still moving things from FFN

Blake sighed in relief as she took off in the small transport shuttle, the ship hurtling past Sullust’s atmosphere and into the outlying space. The massive, triangular shapes of Star Destoyers cast long shadows over her, orbiting the Empire-occupied planet. They paid her no heed however, slowly trundling along their orbit.

The young woman waited until she was out past the cruiser’s flight patterns before setting a course. As she typed in the coordinates, a red light began beeping frantically on the dashboard. Her amber eyes dilated simply, her breath hitching. The shuttle was older - she had no display to let her know who was on the other end. Yet somehow, she knew exactly who it was.

She took a moment, calming herself completely. She couldn’t let a single emotion go unchecked. Not one thing could slip. She shuddered as she considered what might happen if she screwed up.

Tucking her thoughts away, she clicked a button on the console, kneeling down as the unmistakable form of the Dark Lord of the Sith filled the cockpit.

 

Darth Vader.

 

“Lord Vader. I was just about to contact you.” She said respectfully, head dipped down. She locked her gleaming eyes on a specific spot on the cold floor beneath her, the mechanical breathing grinding on her ears.

“Black Hand. I was waiting for an update on your status.” He paused, causing Blake to shiver slightly. “I haven’t heard from you since your rendezvous with the  _ Impaler. _ ”

“I apologize, my lord. There has been little to report, the journey was eventless the whole time. I spent a majority of the journey meditating.”

Blake waited for a response, feeling her master’s soulless eyes boring into the top of her skull. A chill began creeping up her spine before his deep voice resonated once more.

“I see. Then I shall take this last chance of contact to remind you of your mission.”

“Of course, Lord Vader. I am to root out a cell of the Rebel Alliance, and I am to feed you any information regarding the Alliance’s hierarchy.”

“Very good. And remember one more thing, my apprentice.” Blake took this moment to look up, meeting the eyes on the black, helmeted mask of the Sith Lord who stared down at her in all his holographic glory.

“You are to hide your true intentions from any allies you make. You will be required to pass yourself off as someone the traitors can trust. Adopt knowledge of the Force that you would not learn from the Emperor or myself. But never lose sight of where your intentions really lie.”

“I will not fail, Master.”

“I will see that you don’t.” Vader said ominously before the transmission cut out. Blake stood shakily, feeling the weight that the meeting had put on her. Sitting down gently into the captain’s seat, she looked at the nav computer again. The coordinates were set to Filve, a planet known for rebel activity lately. It was a start.

 

Punching in the hyperdrive, she sighed as the ship hummed before whining, hurtling towards the new system. She would not fail.

 

She could not afford to.

 

\---oo00oo---

 

Once she had regained more of her senses, Blake decided to take a look around the transport, hoping to find some sort of object that had been left for her to help her figure out what exactly to do. Nothing was in the cockpit, save for a few basic engineering tools and emergency supplies. Moving to the back of the ship, in the cabin, she cracked a rare half-smile.

Tucked away under the bunk, she found a large, durasteel crate. Pulling it out, she popped open the top, digging around the contents. She found a new outfit, something that would be more acceptable of a bounty hunter than of a Force-Wielder. However, she decided it was to her liking, and put the clothing on the bed. There were a few more sets of clothing with similar styles to the first, which she set on the bed as well. At the bottom of the box, however, she found something that surprised her more. A gleaming cylinder, resting in the corner of the crate.

Pulling the lightsaber out, she compared it to her own. The new hilt had less black, more chrome and gold coating up and down the casing. It felt lighter too, and had some sort of feeling that subconsciously rubbed Blake the wrong way. Hesitantly, she clicked the ignition switch. A warm hum filled the air, a violet blade brightening up the small room and casting a lavender glow over everything. She stared at it thoughtfully, realizing more of Vader’s plan. With these clothes and this lightsaber, she could easily pass for a rogue Jedi Knight - appearance-wise, at the very least.

She set her old lightsaber on the nightstand gingerly, not wanting to scratch the hilt, before she began to strip out of her robes. She glanced over at the mirror, sitting there in her simple undergarments and staring for a moment. She felt so…  _ vulnerable.  _ And open. She shivered, despite the ship’s systems keeping the cabins at a comfortable warm temperature, and hastened in changing.

Midnight-purple pants hugged her lower body comfortably, the ankles hidden by knee-high black, leather boots. She fastened a belt on, noticing that it included a holster. She made a side note to attempt to get ahold of a blaster at some point. She grimaced at the thought of using such a clumsy weapon, but it would definitely help her blend in.

She had a white, button up shirt covering her torso. Reaching up to her hair, she gently parted her hair, taking a deep breath. Two ears poked through raven locks, twitching slightly now that they were freed from their shadowy prison. It felt good to let out a bit of herself again, especially after she was so used to hiding them from everyone.

Finally, she clipped the lightsaber to her belt, noting that the weight was comfortable on her hip. Looking down at the crumpled clothing on the bed, she reached down and grabbed a long strip of black fabric, looping it around her neck to make a comfortable scarf. Turning back to the mirror, she was almost shocked at the sight. She barely looked like herself.

 

Bundling up the rest of her old clothes, she brought them to the trash disposal chute. Gently, she tossed each article into the shaft, the fabric burning up in the furnace below before being placed in a holding tank for ejection later. When she got to her lightsaber, however she decided to instead keep it with her. After all, she wasn’t supposed to  _ totally  _ cut off her previous ties.

A beeping sound rang out throughout the ship, causing Blake to whip around and hastily make her way to the cockpit. As soon as she entered, the shuttle emerged from hyperspace, the vast, desert-covered planet sprawling before her. She slid into the captain’s seat comfortably, checking the scanners for the closest space port, and setting a course accordingly. Gently, she swooped the transport through the atmosphere, taking a deep breath. Her mission was finally beginning.

If only she knew how fate would have it’s way with her.

 

\---oo00oo---

 

“Five-thousand credits.”

“Don’t push it, Blondie.”

“I’m not pushing it, J’Kaar. This is premium stock, and it deserves a premium price. Five-thousand, and no less.” The woman smirked, kicking her feet up on the table as she leaned back. The cantina’s band was playing an upbeat song, a classic in the area. Muffled chatter surrounded the blonde, and she noted that this was definitely one of the hotspots for her business. Many of the deals being made were classified as ‘less-than-legal’ by most local law enforcement standards.

“Premium stock?” The bothan chuckled, giving off a bleating sound. “Last time my boys used blasters from  _ your  _ stock, half of them suffered third-degree burns when they imploded in their hands.”

“Woah, woah! Take it easy! Those are some serious accusations.”

“Serious is right. So we can cut a deal, I presume?” The blonde hummed thoughtfully before clapping her hands together.

“Alright! I hear you, J’Kaar, I really do. So we’ll call it 4500 creds, then?” The bothan’s chuckle died, a scoff replacing it.

“I tried to give a reasonable proposal, Xiao Long. Now hear my counter offer.” Out of the corner of her lilac eyes, the young woman noticed his furry hand shooting for his hip. With lightning-fast motion, she reached down to her own holster and pulled out her ever-faithful DT-12 Blaster Pistol, levelling it at J’Kaar’s face. The bothan barely managed to register his fate before she pulled the trigger, a charge of energy putting an electric taste in the air. A startled gasp exited the alien’s mouth before he slumped forward on the table, smoke drifting from the fresh hole in his forehead.

The woman scoffed before looking over at the bartender. The bearded man growled, adjusting his suit.

 

“Yang, we went over this the last time.”

“Yeah, yeah! I know! But this was self-defense! C’mon, Junior, you saw it with your own eyes!” Yang protested back, holstering her pistol as she walked over to the bar. Junior shook his head, cleaning a glass absentmindedly.

“Forget it, Blondie. This was the last time. I want you out of here, or I’m gonna have to call the stormtroopers on you.” Yang raised her hands defensively, backing out of the bar.

“Alright, alright! You’ve got me! I give up!” She gave out a laugh before sliding the door open. “I’ll bring you your shipment same time next month!”

“Yeah, yeah. Sure thing. Just don’t let me catch you in here again.” Yang smirked and snapped a mock-salute before walking out of the cantina, stepping into the bright sunlight that flooded the streets.

 

Nall Sh’aat was definitely one of the smaller space ports - in terms of popularity with the big time shipping companies. It was, however, the perfect environment for the shadier side of smuggling, especially considering the Imperial Occupation made many coveted items legal contraband.

Yang whistled to herself as she made her way through the bustling streets, though she tried to make herself less conspicuous whenever she noticed the gleaming white domes of stormtrooper helmets popping up through the crowds. Once they passed, she would tug her leather jacket down again and continue on her way.

The docking bays were particularly busy, it seemed. At first, the blonde smuggler was worried that she wouldn’t be able to find her ship in all the hustle and bustle. Finally, she sighed in relief as Docking Bay 92 came into view. She beamed, punching in a keycode and allowing the large, metal doors to slowly creak open, bringing her freighter into view.

The MC-08 Hauler-Class freighter was definitely a sight to behold. It had a notable, sleek shape to it, but also showed signs of damage all over it, as if it had survived many a dogfight in it’s time. Covered in a dark, almost black paint, it had bright-yellow markings all over, joined with some color closer to orange for accents. A hand-painted bumble bee cartoon decorated the side, up near the cockpit, marking its namesake.  _ The Bumble Bee. _

Her grin turned quickly to a frown, however, as she noticed a squad of men in front of the freighter. Tilting her head up, she stalked over, cursing under her breath. As she drew closer, her concerns grew as she saw that the men were wearing hodge-podge armor with a black skull roughly painted on. She knew them all too well. The footsoldiers of the local crime boss, Atilla.

“What can I do for you boys?” She called as she got within speaking distance, causing them to turn around. She noticed the two men on the outsides were younger men, probably new initiates in Atilla’s army. The one in the center turned, revealing himself to be a Weequay, the leathery skin unmistakable. His wrinkled face shifted as he grinned.

“You are Captain Xiao Long, I presume?” He spoke in basic. It was a little choppy, but she understood it well enough.

“Yes, I am. I hope you three haven’t been doing anything to my ship in my absence?”

“Of course not, Captain. We would never dare. In fact, we have come to make an offer.”

Yang’s eyes shifted between the three, still doubtful their intentions. Her hand took a careful, steady position in reach of her pistol, causing the younger men to tighten their grips on their rifles.

“It better be a fast one, because I need to be off-world on another job.”

 

The weequay shrugged, taking on a face of mock-pity and making a ‘tsk’ing noise.

“Ah, I’m sorry Captain, but Atilla hasn’t got the patience. He wishes for us to bring you to him immediately.” Two rifles were levelled on Yang within seconds as he continued, his cold eyes watching her closely.

“Whether it’s by your choice, or our force.”

_ Fuck.  _ Yang thought to herself as she forced herself to relax, putting on a casual grin.

“Of course! Lead the way.” She said. They relaxed a bit, but didn’t put down their guns.

“Right this way, Captain.” The weequay gestured back towards the landing bay doors as she was led out of the area. Silently, her mind pondered how she could possibly get herself out of this one.

 

\---oo00oo---

 

Blake felt incredibly out of place among the crowds of the spaceport. She’d never been around more than a handful of people at a time during her training, and even her battles that she had been in hadn’t been very large, mostly small assaults that would later be reported as “thwarted by another anonymous Imperial agent.” It made her nervous. Not to mention she had a bag of credits tied to her belt after selling the shuttle for much less than it was worth in an effort to cover her tracks.

Her stomach rumbled, and she realized she hadn’t eaten in a few days due to a fasting portion for her self-training on the cruiser. Deciding that she had sufficiently sustained long enough, she looked around for something to eat, hoisting her bag of her belongings over her shoulder. A warm smell drifted past her nose, causing her to turn and follow it. It brought her to a small merchant’s stand. Small, fried lizards and other animals were being served on stakes, the meat and fat still-sizzling from the grill. The owner, a small, older man smiled and walked over.

“I’ll have one of those.” She said, pointing to what seemed to be some sort of fried fish. The merchant nodded, ringing up the price, which she paid in full. Taking the fish eagerly, she bit into it, rare hum creeping out as her teeth sank into the meat. She’d never thought food could taste so good, mostly on account of the fact that she had eaten protein-filled, nutrient-based rations almost her entire life.

 

_ “Hey, check over there.” _ She heard a helmeted voice laugh from behind her.  _ “Hey, faunus! Running an errand for your master like a good slave, right?” _ He called before laughing again. Glimpsing over her shoulder, she noticed that a squad of stormtroopers had stopped, one of them pointing at her ears. Her eyes narrowed as she wiped juice from her mouth.

“I am no slave.”

“ _ Right. _ ” Another of the helmeted men chuckled.  _ “You must be dead then, because I’ve never third of a third option for your kind.” _ Despite being trained her whole life to keep her emotions completely subdued, the words bit deeper than she had known possible. As she prepared to make a retort, however, they all suddenly whipped into action, levelling their E-11 rifles at her.

_ “Come quietly, Jedi.” _ Glancing down, she grimaced as she noticed that they were looking at her lightsaber. She set her meat down on the stand, backing up slightly.

“I don’t want any trouble---” The leader’s blaster fired off a shot of bright, burning energy, and in the split second she had, she whipped the lightsaber up to her hand, igniting it. The violet blade sprung up, deflecting the blaster bolt right back at the leader. With a choked shout, he was knocked back, crumpling to the ground. It didn’t take long at all for the rest of them to begin shooting at her, which she decided would be safer to avoid than to fight.

Her hand shot forward, Force energy launching them back against a nearby wall before she began sprinting in the opposite direction. Collecting themselves, the stormtroopers began running after her, their armored boots slamming against the ground as one of them called in reinforcements. Blake silently cursed, hoping that she could evade them and somehow get herself out of this situation quickly. The muffled sounds of more troopers did not reassure her.

 

\---oo00oo---

 

The man on Yang’s left jumped slightly as his commlink began blaring chatter, which the blonde smuggler quickly realized was tapping into Imperial communication channels. He fine-tuned the signal until words began pouring out.

_ “--edi! I repeat, there is a Jedi on the run as we speak! She’s cutting through the marketplace, probably trying to head to the slums across town. Shoot to kill, we have three men down so far! All squads, pursue!” _

“We should try for that. Maybe get a civilian’s commendation and some credits for our troubles?” The other man questioned, the Weequay humming in thought.

“I don’t see why not. Atilla wouldn’t mind having another potential problem out of his hair, after all.” Loud footsteps came from the blocks off to their left, and the younger two leveled their rifles in that direction.

 

A raven-haired woman shot around the corner, and they both pulled their triggers. What they didn’t expect, however, were just how close the squad behind her was to her heels. Two men dropped, new holes smoking in their sand-covered armor, causing the rest of the squad to turn. Even the Jedi paused momentarily, although she didn’t show any sign of staying.

_ “Get those four! They’re probably working with her!” _ One shouted, pointing his blaster over at them. The weequay muttered something before whipping out his pistol, cracking off a shot that hit the trooper square in the head. Using this opportunity, Yang slammed her elbow into one gangster’s jaw, kicking the other in the gut as hard as she could. Whipping out her DT-12, she held it to the weequay with a smirk. His face grimaced.

“Atilla will have your head.”

“Please, I’ve heard that a million times before.” She laughed. “And your boss certainly isn’t on the list of people I’m worried about.” She then put on a stern face before pulling the trigger, a flash going off before the weequay slumped to the ground. She then fired four more shots off, taking out the remaining troops before turning to the girl.

“More are on their way! My ship is just back there, follow me!”

“Why should I trust you?” The Jedi yelled back, still wary.

“Because I’m the only one that hasn’t shot at you all day I’d guess. Follow me, we have to go!” She retorted, her blaster still aimed at the street. More footsteps and shouts sounded from the distance, causing the raven-haired woman to growl before running over.

“Let’s go.”

“Of course.” She grinned as another trooper rounded the corner, met with several shots from Yang. Taking their chance, the two ran down the street, the smuggler firing a few shots over her shoulder every few seconds to keep the Imperials on their feet.

It didn’t take long for them to get to the landing bay, the doors still open after Yang had been escorted away from it. Yang ran past the woman, punching a button that extended the landing ramp.

“Follow me, I need you to man the cannons while I prep for takeoff.” Yang barked at the stranger, who quietly nodded and followed her onto the ship. The walk to the cabin wasn’t long, and Yang was soon in the pilot’s seat, flipping switches and pressing buttons all over the control setup before her. She paused briefly after activating the shields and pointed on the woman’s side, who remained silent.

“Those are power controls, directional controls, and rate of fire. I’d keep it at low power with a high rate, try and suppress them. Understand?” Another nod, which the smuggler had taken at this point as a yes. Sighing, she went back to preparing the ship’s systems. A warm hum filled the whole freighter.

Blake concentrated on the task at hand, ignoring this strange woman as she honed the controls. The rest of the squads appeared to have formed up, because there were most definitely more of them than before.

_ Pointless.  _ She noted internally as she pulled the the trigger on the cannon controls, unloading a volley of laserfire at the troopers. They scattered as the bolts shot towards them, some of them still getting caught in their paths and flying backwards.

Now more wary of her weapons, the troopers took cover, only popping their heads up to fire a few random shots. Nothing to worry her about. When she saw a man bringing over a rocket launcher, however, she realized they didn’t plan to simply take them in.

“We have a problem---”

“Yeah, yeah! I see it!” The blonde woman yelled back. “The shields should be able to take a blast or two, I’m almost done!” The first rocket launched from the weapon’s barrel, spiraling towards the freighter, causing Blake to brace. It collided with the shields, detonating on impact and causing the ship to rock. They began loading another one in, causing Blake to look anxiously at the woman.

“Got it!” She shouted, pumping her fist in the air before hitting a large button. The ship slowly began rising, spinning around as it prepared for takeoff. Another rocket shot past, wildly inaccurate in their haste to take the ship out. Smirking, the blonde woman punched the throttle, launching them through the sky towards the atmosphere.

 

It didn’t take long for them to get past the planet’s outer layer, and the blonde woman sighed in relief. Blake too reclined in her chair, the two of them just letting the ship move onwards as they rested momentarily.

In a seconds, however, the cockpit whipped into action. Blake’s lightsaber sprung out, pointed mere inches from the blonde’s throat. The smuggler likewise had her blaster levelled at her stomach. Blake had seen the model before, and knew the damage it would deal at this range. Neither moved.

“So you really are a Jedi.”

“Yes.”

“Sweet.” The blonde smirked. “I’m Yang. Yang Xiao Long. And might I say that I never knew an outlaw such as yourself could be so smokin’ hot~” Blake recoiled slightly, but held the blade steady, causing Yang to chuckle.

“It’s alright. I’m not planning on turning you in. I actually am the best person you could have met out here.”

“Why’s that?” Blake asked, emotionless as ever. Yang reclined slightly, a cocky smirk dancing on her face.

“Because… I’m with the Rebel Alliance.”

“You’re bluffing.”

“Nope! I’m totally serious! I’m actually willing to bring you with me to their next supply drop, if you’d like.” Blake relaxed a little bit.

“You could be lying.”

“I could be, but I’m not.”

“And I’ll kill you if you try to turn me in to anyone.”

“Believe me, the Empire would kill me first.” Yang laughed nervously before looking back.

“Please. I know what it’s like to be on the run. Let me get you to a group who would accept you with open arms.”

Blake frowned slightly, thinking it over briefly. Finally, she sighed and deactivated her lightsaber. Yang grinned and winked, turning back to the controls, her hands moving comfortably over the controls.

 

“I never got a name back, you know.”

“Blake.” She responded. There was an odd pause, and she realized the smuggler was looking for a last name. At that moment, Blake realized suddenly that she had never thought she’d need on. She quickly added the first thing to come to her head.

“Belladonna. Blake Belladonna.”

“Well, Blake Belladonna, I promise I think we’ll have a great time together, you and I.”

“Yeah.” She said, feigning emotion. She hoped that she didn’t regret joining this rogue blonde. Worse comes to worse, she can just kill her and take the ship and it’s coordinates. Either way, she was on a path now, and no matter what, she planned to stick to this path until the end.


	3. Rituals

Weiss looked out over the lava-riddled planet of Sullust, the sun setting just over one of the black, charred mountaintops as the warm glow of the superheated magma took over the sky. Her cruiser was being refueled, and her men were taking a few days rest planetside. For the first time in months of being in space, she had downtime.

Downtime that she hadn’t the slightest clue as to how to fill it.

She fidgeted restlessly around her room in the Administrator’s Suite - Sullust wasn’t known for it’s classy lodgings, but at least the superior officers were well taken care of. She had removed her uniform, carefully folding it and setting it in the impressive closet connected to her room. After a rather lengthy shower in the ‘fresher, and a sparse meal in the dining hall a few floors below, she found herself restless, and for the first time in what felt like forever, she was absolutely bored.

Huffing, she stood up from her seat by the vast window that stretched across one wall, moving over to her bed and pulling out a large bag. Rooting through the belongings she had stuffed into the bag, she finally found what she was looking for, cracking a rare smile. Carefully, she pulled out her custom-forged vibroblade, the bright metal gleaming in the sunset’s light. She took a moment to admire the engravings along the blade, gently running her pale hand across the grooves.

She went back to her bag and grabbed another small pouch, carefully unrolling it to reveal many small tools and such, all neatly placed in the slots allotted to them. Pulling out a pair of goggles, gently putting them over her eyes before turning to the sword, her compact welder sparking and periodically lighting up the room as she worked.

Currently she was working on modifying the switching speed of it’s core properties. Currently, it could move between six different elemental upgrades with different lasting effects - but in the heat of combat, rare as that was, the time between switches seemed to stretch on far too long. Thus, she retired to her work, attempting to fashion a speedier shifting mechanism. At the moment, she was working on a rotary motor that could quickly shift the phials of energy into the blade itself.

She jumped suddenly when her commlink beeped loudly, drawing her back out of her work. Sighing, she flipped her goggles back onto her head before tapping the flickering button on the device.

“What is it?” She said flatly, annoyance creeping into her voice as she grilled the one who interrupted her personal time.

“Er, Captain… there is an incoming transmission. From the Grand Admiral himself.” Weiss paled at the news. She wasn’t even prepared. Hurriedly, she tossed her goggles to the side, putting her hair back into place and clearing her throat.

“Put it through to my desk’s hologram.” She ordered. She could practically hear the hasty nod on the other end before the caller’s voice clicked out. She took a deep breath and faced the holographic projector on the top of her desk, composing herself before waiting calmly. Suddenly, a bright-blue figure flickered in front of her before stabilizing. The stern face of an older man with snow-white hair and a thick moustache filled her sight, causing her to suppress a chill. He glanced her over, the look in his eyes saying he definitely noticed her casual work attire, but he said nothing. Clearing her throat again, she initiated the conversation.

 

“Father. I was wondering when you would check in.” She said politely, her usually stern and commanding tone faltering and revealing a more timid one lying just beneath. She had learned on a few occasions what would befall her if she spoke too boldly.

“Weiss.” He said, his voice giving off an ever-so-slight rumble. “I heard you and your crew had made port on Sullust.”

“Yes sir. We acquired Lord Vader’s agent before making haste to the planet and delivering supplies to the manufacturing facilities in the area.”

“Good, good.” He chuckled. It seemed hollow to Weiss. “It’s good to hear that my daughter is carrying her tasks out without fail.”

“Schnees do not fail.” She recited diligently. The phrase had been drilled into her head ever since she was a small child, a grounding set of words that was meant to dictate everything that Weiss, as well as her older sister, did in their lives.

“Very good.” He seemed to smile ever so slightly, the corners of his mouth almost turning up before going back to his natural state of rest. “Of course, this isn’t a call purely for pleasure. I have your next assignment for you.”

“Whatever you command, sir.” She said out of reflex, snapping a sharp salute.

“You are to stay on Sullust for a week, allowing your men to regain their energy.” The white-haired captain suppressed a grimace at the prospect of having more downtime than she already had to deal with.

“After that, you will be sent to escort and deliver a valuable shipment from one of our mining colonies in the Outer Rim.” The prospect of an important mission definitely perked Weiss’s interest once more, and she nodded.

“Yes sir.”

“Good. I believe I have said all that is needed.”

“Send my regards to Winter.” She chirped in a quiet voice. The Admiral held her gaze for a moment longer before nodding and ending the call.

Instantly, a huge sigh of relief exited Weiss’s mouth as her hand shot up to rub her temples. Any contact with her father was always incredibly stressful on the young woman, and she was glad it was over.

_ Thank the stars he’s no Force user…  _ She thought to herself, shuddering at the thought of the Grand Admiral sensing her disinterest every time he checked in on her. Brushing the thought out of her head, she glanced at the chrono. It was still relatively early. Smiling at the hope for a more interesting future, she slid the goggles back onto her eyes and sat back at the desk, resuming her work on the sharpened blade once more.

 

\---oo00oo---

 

“Keep it tight, Rose Squadron! We’re going for some loops!” Ruby said into her comm system. Acknowledgement lights winked on her console as her pilots accepted the command. Pulling the yoke of the the X-Wing fighter gradually, she felt the G-Forces increase as the ship began ascending upwards. A quick look at her scanner showed the rest of her fighters sticking close to her, their own movements mirroring hers.

Smirking, she clicked comms back on.

“Mid-loop, I want everyone to break apart and scatter! Let’s simulate a combat situation!”

“Yes ma’am, as long as you don’t mind some scratches later on.” Another voice crackled through in response. It was all she took to stop grinning long enough to sound serious in her own reply.

“Cut the chatter Rose-6, and follow the order.”

 

Banter aside, they obeyed and pulled off the maneuver brilliantly. She sighed happily, glad her squad was as crisp as ever.

“That’s enough, guys. You can all fly back to base. Get something from the mess, we had a good practice today.”

“You’re not coming, Commander?” Rose-2 asked quizzically.

“Nah, I’m gonna go back to the moon for a little while. I’ll be back later tonight.”

“Copy that, commander. We’ll check up if you’re not back within a rotation.”

“Glad I have you guys looking out for me. Now get out of here. Over and out.” She smiled, flipping off the system and steadying her flight pattern as she began rising through the atmosphere. It wasn’t long before clouds opened up to reveal the stars rushing towards her as her fighter streaked out of the planet.

As soon as she was free, she adjusted her course, pulling to the port-side of her ship and veering towards a dark-blue moon, the sphere filling her vision as she drew nearer and nearer towards it.

The moon had piqued her interest not too long ago, ever since her R2 unit had picked up some trace energy signals while patrolling. Upon investigation, she was amazed to find old ruins that seemed to have been abandoned a long time ago.

Landing at a now-familiar spot outside the main temple-like structure, she hopped out of the cockpit as her engines whined and cooled.

“Stay in the ship.” She told her astromech droid, the trash can-esque robot beeping and whirring a response. Activating a glowrod, she checked the blaster at her hip before moving towards the entrance.

She had managed to get a bit of power working thanks to portable generators, allowing at least most of the doors in the temple to open - most of the time. Thankfully, they slid open with no trouble. She sighed in relief and moved into the ruin.

Shadows greeted her, barely held back by the faint light her glowrod put out. Her footsteps echoed faintly in the passage as she made her way to the back of the building - or at least as far back as she had managed to explore.

Finally she reached a deep chasm, split open by some great tremor. Possibly an earthquake - though something in her gut told her it was something more sinister. Shrugging off the feeling, she reached into a bag hanging loosely off of her belt, pulling out a long strip of metal cable.

Ruby clipped the cable to her blaster, tugging on it to guarantee that it would hold her weight. Briefly, she flicked out a small commlink, speaking into it.

“Red, I’m heading down. Tell me if anything happens while I’m gone.” She ordered. The droid uttered a confirmation, and she slid the commlink safely into her suit. If it broke on the trip down, she wouldn’t be getting any help if she needed it.

 

Leaning off the ledge, she began rappelling down into the shaft, the walls growing around her and casting shadows that threatened to put out her small, artificial light. The pilot shuddered slightly but pushed on, deeper into the chasm, falling farther and farther underneath the ruins above.

Eventually, the darkness gave way to flickers and glimmers all around her. This part always intrigued her. The walls gave away to what looked to be old bookcases, except for the fact that they were hundreds of feet tall.

Most of the shelves were long-dead, and none of her attempts at mining for data had proven worthwhile yet. However, something told her that there was something here - assuming she could figure out how to find it.

 

“Kriff, where did I leave off last time…” She muttered to herself, holding onto the cable tightly as she walked over the rigid surfaces of the cases. Deciding she was too high up, she slowly began to repel. Then she quickly began to repel.

Suddenly, the cable gave way. With a shout of panic, Ruby shot down a ways, arms flailing about as she attempted to find a handhold of some sort to stop her descent.

Her fall was cut short as her hand managed to hook onto an open shelf, nearly pulling her arm out of her socket. She grunted in pain, but buried it as she forced her other arm to grab the ledge too, securing her spot. The cable shot past her, dangling far below her from it’s attachment to her pistol.

Deciding that she should find another route down, she hit a switch to rewind her grappling cable. Glancing back at the ledge, however, she caught sight of something shoved in the back, glimmering faintly - though she was unable to make it out.

Slowly, she reached a hand in, ready to yank it back out in case it was something dangerous. When her fingers brushed cool metal, and it did not move in response, she let out a relieved sigh and pulled it out.

“What in the world is this?” She asked herself softly as she pulled the object into the light of her lamp. It was a small cube, a little bigger than her hand. Blue glass meshed with gold lining as she brushed her hand over it. It seemed to hum with life, something that seemed odd to her. Her silver eyes scanned it, looking it over intensely. Almost as if…

A loud beeping sounded out from her commlink, almost panicked in tone. Fumbling to get the cube in her bag, she reached into her uniform and pulled out the device.

“Red? What’s going on?” A flurry of beeps sounded out at her, causing her eyes to widen.

“A freighter? Not one of ours?” A confirmation beep. She grimaced, pulling out her pistol.

“Prep the ship. I’ll be right there.” She said sternly, pushing a button and shooting the grappling hook out from the tip, hooking it in the darkness above before pulling her slim form back to the surface.

 

\---oo00oo---

 

The freighter landed in the hangar of the Rebel base, engines winding down as she rested on the extended legs of her landing gear. Ruby pushed past the small crowd of other soldiers and technicians, standing at the front of the landing ramp as it extended itself and softly came in contact with the ground.

A tall form stood in the doorway, and the smaller pilot locked eyes with her intensely. For a moment, neither moved, staying like that until the figure opened her mouth.

“Aren’t you a little small to be flying, girly?”

“Aren’t you a little soft to be shooting at your sister like that?” Ruby responded with a smirk. The blonde woman grinned and rushed down the ramp, Ruby only able to give off a small squeak before she was gripped by the strong arms of her older sister.

“It’s good to see you, sis!” She beamed, her hug crushing the smaller girl.

“I-It’s good t-to see you too, Y-Yang!” Ruby choked out, rapidly tapping her sister on the back to signal she needed air. Finally the older sister set her down, gripping her shoulders.

“Geez, have you grown since my last drop? I could have sworn you were a foot shorter.”

“I’m sure I haven’t grown  _ that  _ much, it’s only been six or seven months.” Ruby rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. “You also seem to be more tan.”

“I’ve spent a lot of time on desert planets lately.” Yang chuckled. “It’s been a trip.” She suddenly glanced over her shoulder, and Ruby followed her older sister’s eyesight. Standing in the doorway was a young woman with flowing black hair, her amber-eyes piercing down at the two of them.

“Oh! I almost forgot. Ruby, meet Blake. We helped each other out of a tough spot before coming here.” Yang beamed. Ruby suddenly went rigid as Blake walked down the ramp.

“Yang!” She hissed. “You can’t just bring strangers to the base!”

“Woah! Nononono, it’s fine! I swear she’s good!” Yang backpedaled. “See, Blake here is… well, she’s a Jedi.” Ruby froze, looking over the woman one more time - this time, her eyes caught onto the gleaming, metallic hilt hanging from her belt. She watched a moment longer before she relaxed, letting out the tension in her body.

“Alright. If you vouch for her, I trust her too.” She smiled at Yang before walking up the Blake, extending a hand.

“Ruby Rose. Commander of Rose Squadron. Welcome to the Alliance.” Blake looked at the extended hand with little-to-no emotion before gripping it, a faint smile on her face.

“Blake Belladonna. It’s… nice to meet you, Ruby.”

“Now that we’re all acquainted, can we get some grub? I’m starving!” Yang interrupted, grinning. Ruby giggled and nodded, waving over a pair of technicians. Yang paid no attention - they knew her ship as well as anyone else here, and she trusted them. Ruby then waved for Yang and Blake to follow her, leading them into the base.

“So when were you going to tell me that you were promoted to Commander?” Yang smirked, throwing a light punch against Ruby’s arm. It still hurt. She chuckled as she rubbed what she was sure would soon become a bruise.

“I’ve been… busy.” She shrugged. “Plus half the time I have no idea where to find you…”

“Eh, it’s whatever. Just means I can be more proud of you now!” The blonde grinned, ruffling Ruby’s dark hair. While begging for mercy, Ruby glanced back, seeing Blake walking behind them, silent and reserved.

“So, uh, how did you guys meet?” She asked. Yang chuckled.

“Oh, do I have a story for you. It started when I was walking out of a cantina…”

 

\---oo00oo---

 

Blake sighed, looking up at the ceiling above her as she lay in the darkness. She and Yang had been given a pair of rooms for them to stay in while they were at the base, but she couldn’t find it in herself to sleep. She was… restless.

When she had shaken Ruby’s hand, she felt an energy she had yet to experience so far. Something… light. Powerful. And above all, dangerous.

_ But it could prove useful.  _ A quiet voice piped up in the back of her mind.  _ Imagine, if she really is connected to the Force… you could train her. You could turn her. And perhaps, you could even rival Vader. _

_ But not yet.  _ She added quickly.  _ Not until I know for sure. And THEN I will make my move. _

Rolling over onto her side, she shut her eyes and gave a faint smile. Perhaps this mission would turn out to be more interesting than she had anticipated.


	4. Routines

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eyyyy everything after this will be current finally done with moving my stuff over

Ruby walked into the main hangar, ready to get some modifications finished on her X-Wing. The thrusters as they were seemed to have too much output heat-wise than it gave out speed-wise, and she hoped that a few additions to the circuitry and a new coat on the engines could keep them from warping if she had to push it further.

Looking past the mishmash of other fighters and transports however, she saw Goodwitch and Yang talking outside the Bumblebee. It looked like it was getting pretty heated. Her interest piquing, she waited until the Admiral turned and walked away before making her way towards her sister. From 20 feet away, she could feel the anger rolling off of her.

“What was that about?” She asked when she got within talking distance of the smuggler. Yang’s eyes were a crimson red, a telltale song that whatever it was had genuinely pissed her off.

“The Admiral doesn’t think I should take off for a few weeks.” She seethed through her gritted teeth.

“Did she give a reason?”

“ _ Apparently,  _ there is a ton of Imperial traffic sweeping through, and we can’t afford to give up the base’s position.”

“Well  _ duh. _ ” Ruby scoffed. “Yang, your ship is fast but it’s definitely not stealthy. If you went past the moon, you’d be spotted for sure.”

“I guess…” Yang muttered. “I just hate being grounded like this.”

“It’s alright, Yang. You’ll manage.” Ruby patted her sister sympathetically on the shoulder before beaming up at her. “Buuuut I was about to do some modifications to my fighter. Wanna help me out with that?” She could feel the mood melt away from the blonde as she grinned.

“Of course! It’ll be just like growing up!”

 

The two walked over to the fighter, smiling at each other and making small talk. The younger sister pointed Yang towards the boarding ladder, the canopy already flipped upwards and the cockpit open and ready for a pilot.

“I’m gonna work on modifications, and I need you to sit in the cockpit and run diagnostics while I work. I might also need you to hand me down some tools I’ve left up there.”

“You’ve got it, boss.” Yang flashed a thumbs up before climbing the ladder upwards, swinging herself into the open cockpit. She began flipping switches across the board, lights flickering and stabilizing on the display.

“You’ve made some pretty hefty modifications here, sis.” Yang called down, noting the boost controls and more adjustable yoke. Ruby shrugged as she dragged out a small toolkit, beginning to rewire the energy output.

“I do what I can. It helps keep me busy in my downtime, and it helps keep me alive in a pinch.” Yang nodded absentmindedly as she hooked in a system scanner to the dash, watching it run tests on the wiring.

“So you, uh… you’ve killed before?”

“Of course. It’s one of my duties.” The younger girl replied casually, causing Yang to feel a bit uneasy. The thought of her younger sister taking the life of another living being wasn’t one that she liked to entertain.

“Does dad know just how dangerous your duties are?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t seen him in years.” The younger girl’s reply seemed quicker than usual, and noticeably more forced. The smuggler decided to ease off the topic and move to something else. She was surprised when her sister did so first.

“What do you know about Blake?”

Yang sighed, combing her fingers through her curly blonde locks as she racked her mind.

“I know she’s no friend of the Empire, that’s for sure. And she’s pretty skilled in that Jedi stuff.”

“Do you think she’s one of the old Jedi?” Ruby asked.

“Nah, too young. She can’t be older than 19 or 20.” She chuckled. “I’d say she probably learned from someone else.” Ruby was silent for a moment before quietly asking another question.

“Do you… do you think whoever taught her died?” Yang stiffened slightly. Of course she hadn’t particularly thought of the raven-haired Force-wielder’s background, but the more she thought about it, the more it started to make sense to her.

“Well… she is pretty quiet. Definitely keeps to herself.” She poked her head over the edge of the X-Wing’s cockpit.

“I don’t think she wants to talk about it, if it’s true.”

“That makes sense.” Ruby sighed. Flipping the panel shut once more, she looked down at a small datapad. “Alright, Yang, I’m gonna test out the new circuitry. Let me know if anything sparks and stuff.” Yang nodded and went back to the device, refreshing the scan as her sister turned on the new modifiers.

 

Things seemed to be going well… until suddenly red lights began flaring across the display, an alarm blaring in her ears.

“R-Ruby! Shut it off!” She shouted. The pilot hurriedly shut the wiring down again, causing the alarm to shut off. The two sighed in relief before Ruby began to giggle.

“Looks like I might need some more work here than I thought.” Yang smirked. At least her sister hadn’t changed too much while she was gone.

 

\---oo00oo---

 

Blake panted slightly as she caught her breath, perched in a tree branch high above the ground. She had been pushing her limits over the last few days, trying to keep her training up despite not having Vader’s tutelage to guide her.

She reflected on the Sith Lord’s direction as she took a break, pondering what the true purpose of this could be. She had learned to always question his motives, just as he questioned the Emperor’s, and this was no exception. There was no way he just wanted to find this Rebel cell. They didn’t even have a record, as far as she knew.

_ Perhaps he wants the girl.  _ She considered.  _ It wouldn’t be the first time he’s looked for another apprentice in my time. _ She thought back to the last few rivals Vader had presented. Every time, she had managed to defeat them - and deep down, she thought Vader probably expected that outcome.

When she thought about Ruby, however, she realized the outcome might not be as predictable. Usually the Dark Lord had found Dark Jedi, hastily-trained Force Wielders, or even the occasional Shadow Guard that Vader had chosen to advance in terms of training. This girl, however, was an untapped source. Her powers were unknown, as well as her limits. If she were to get the proper tutelage…

Blake leaped to the ground, landing with a soft thud as her boots hit the ground. She looked around her, noting that the sun was beginning to set over the canopy, and decided that now was probably a good time to head back to the rebel base. She walked back through the underbrush, surrounded by her own thoughts.

 

Her arrival to the base was mostly unnoticed, a few technicians or pilots giving her a simple nod as she made her way through the hangar. She paid them no mind as she made her way to the barracks in the back of the base.

She noticed a loud snoring coming from one of the rooms - probably Yang, as she had found out through the trip from Filve to Vatin-Ell. She rolled her eyes slightly as she continued on the way to her quarters. As she passed Ruby’s room, however, she heard something faintly coming through the door. Placing an ear to the cold metal, she listened carefully.

“Hng~ I-It’s too tight!” The pilot squeaked out through the door, grunting and panting. “M-Maybe it’ll go better if I go like this…” More stifled noises drifted through the durasteel, causing Blake to recoil, blushing heavily as her mind jumped to conclusions about what the young girl was doing in her room. Of course, it was only natural for a girl Ruby’s age, but at this time? The twin moons were just starting to rise in the distance - far too early for most people to… do that sort of thing.

While deep in concerned thought about just how high Ruby’s sex drive must be, the door suddenly shot open, causing her to freeze. She turned, eyes locking with Ruby’s for a moment. Carefully, she looked down. Ruby was fully clothed, casual attire clinging to her form. Blake let out a huge sigh of relief, blush receding. Ruby wondered what the hell Blake had been thinking about as she sat up a bit on her bed.

“Blake! What’s up?”

“O-Oh, uh… nothing.” She gave a tight-lipped smile, somehow feeling even more uncomfortable than before. “The door just opened on it’s own…”

“Oh. Weird. I’ll get some technicians to look at it tomorrow.” The redheaded pilot shrugged before patting the bed next to her with a smile.

“Wanna keep me company for a bit?”

“I wouldn’t want to intrude on whatever you were doing.” Blake politely declined, preparing to turn and continue to her room. Ruby nodded again, sighing.

“Yeah. Sure thing. I wasn’t doing much, just trying to open this blasted box.” She pulled something from behind her back, and the apprentice’s eyes immediately shot open as they focused on the small item. Slowly, she stepped closer.

“R-Ruby, do you know what this is?”

“No! Do you?” The younger girl asked excitedly, sliding forward a bit and holding it out to her. Blake gently picked it up, feeling the gentle hum of unknown energy resonating inside the dark blue cube as she turned it over in her hands.

“This is a Jedi Holocron.” She said softly. “Most of them were taken by the Emperor during the Purge, and finding one is incredibly rare. Where was this one?” She asked suddenly as she looked up, amber orbs locking with silver.

“One of the moons. There’s an old temple on it… I guess an old Jedi temple.” Ruby grinned, scratching the back of her head. “I’ve explored it a few times, but that’s the first thing I’ve really gotten that’s not junk.”

Gently, Blake set the holocron on the desk, giving Ruby a thin smile.

“This is a good find. No doubt it’s filled with Jedi secrets, training methods, or even knowledge of the Force itself.”

“So… how do I open it?” She asked, cocking her head. Blake froze as she realized that she didn’t rightly know. She of course had learned how to open a Sith holocron - using the Dark Side of the Force, it would react to the energy and whatever was in it would open itself to the user. Surely it was a similar concept with a Jedi holocron, which posed a problem - Blake was no Jedi.

“I… I don’t really know.” She finally replied, sitting in a chair next to the desk with a sigh. “Some secrets just… always stay secrets.” Ruby watched the pale woman’s face for a moment before resigning, lying back against the wall.

“It’s whatever. Just another piece of junk, then. I guess I could toss it?”

“NO!” Blake jolted forward, catching Ruby by surprise at the Force-wielder’s eagerness. The young woman coughed awkwardly before regaining her composure.

 

“Holocrons are rare.  _ Incredibly  _ rare. If you were to dispose of it, you’d be throwing away part of a culture, a civilization.” She paused before shrugging. “I’d keep it safe if I were you.”

Ruby nodded thoughtfully before tucking the holocron into a desk drawer.

“I’ll make sure of it.” Blake smiled and got up, turning to the door. Just before leaving, however, she turned back to the girl with a sort of half-smirk dancing on her face.

“And hey - maybe you’ll open it up one day. Who knows.” Ruby laughed.

“Yeah, sure. And when that happens, Yang will become a pacifist, and the Emperor will wear a pink dress.” Blake shrugged and exited the quarters, the door sliding shut behind her. Ruby chuckled softly to herself, reclining in the bed as she felt herself beginning to doze off.

“Heh. Me. A Jedi.” She said softly before her eyes slowly blinked shut, and her mind drifted off into the abyss of a deep sleep.


	5. Rendezvous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which we return to our favorite Imperial officer...

**Chapter 5**

 

Weiss watched the darkness of space intently, noting the stars that faintly winked in and out across the view. She had followed her father’s instructions to the letter, and was now waiting at the coordinates provided to her, holding for whoever was delivering their mysterious shipment to her. She grumbled slightly. They were rather late.

 

Not that she was surprised. Winter had never been one for strict regulation.

 

She had only learned the identity of the mysterious courier recently - and honestly, she didn’t know if it made her excited or frustrated. On one hand, she hadn’t seen her sister in many months, and it would be good to speak with her again. On the other hand, she had become somewhat of a black sheep in the Imperial Fleet. A maverick with little love for anything other than combat. Association with her was often looked on with disdain from behind officer’s backs.

“I hear that she once wiped out an entire Rebel fleet with one Star Destroyer.” A hushed whisper said from behind her. Another officer chuckled slightly.

“I heard she was attacked by pirates, and not only beat them back, but repurposed them to volunteer in the Empire!”

Weiss blocked out the chatter, resisting the urge to snap at them that those were nothing more than over-hyped rumors. She knew most of Winter’s fame came from those rumors, and that was precisely how she managed to fight her way out of every situation. Enemy factions, too, believe that they’re rumors - and they die. Underestimating her is exactly how she does away with them, thus keeping the rumors alive.

It was an impressive tactic, but it also caused a great amount of worry for Weiss, waiting for the day when her sister was estimated just the right amount. That worry was finally catching up with the young woman, who was just turning to an officer to order a medical shuttle prepared just in case, when the familiar, angular shape of a Star Destroyer dropped out of hyperspace. Weiss let out a sigh of relief, moving to the comms officer.

“Hail them.” She ordered.

“They’ve already hailed, captain. Apparently the commander is boarding a shuttle with the package as we speak, and shall meet you in the hangar.”

“Good. Order the technicians to prepare the fuel cells for loading, and keep in contact with them. If they need anything, they’re to have it.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He saluted, turning back to the viewscreen. Exhaling slightly, Weiss straightened herself out, noting the tension in her shoulders. She’d have to visit the medbay to see if they could do anything about that. Turning, she began her march to the hangar, gesturing for a pair of stormtroopers to follow her. The followed in silence, for which she was grateful. The three stepped into a turbolift, feeling the ship hum under her feet as they shot through the inner workings of the cruiser. As they came closer and closer to their destination, she began wondering how to greet her sister. It had, after all, been several years since they had last seen each other.

The durasteel doors slid open, and she snapped up once more, moving swiftly to the hangar as the clanking plastoid armor of the troopers sounded behind her. Another pair of doors slid open, revealing the hangar bay as a  _ Lambda _ -class Imperial Shuttle was just winding down from landing, applied coolant causing fog to fill the surrounding area. She stopped a few yards from the front of the shuttle, her troopers snapping to attention behind her. With a whine, the boarding ramp slowly extended, a dull thud sounding out as it made contact with the reflective floor.

Commander Winter Schnee made her appearance.

Her boots clicked softly as she stepped off the ramp, her posture putting out an aura that demanded respect and discipline. Weiss could sense it influencing her soldiers as the woman approached, a lone, ice-blue eye scanning the hangar before settling on the captain. She smiled.

“Captain.”

“Commander.” Weiss nodded. “Shall I show you to my quarters?”

“You may.” Winter nodded, gesturing to her own men exiting the shuttle and pointing to the fuel cells that lay waiting in the corner.

“Load those up, and put the payload in the cargo hold.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The sergeant saluted before barking orders to his stormtroopers, the soldiers marching around to complete their tasks. Wordlessly, Weiss turned, her sister following her, the two troopers again accompanying them. The group travelled in silence, the troopers shifting uncomfortably at the tension in the air. They clambered into the turbolift, the sisters barely giving a look at each other the entire ride up, the entire way down the hall to the captain’s quarters. As they approached the doors, however, Weiss nodded to the stormtroopers.

“Thank you, you too. You are dismissed.” They snapped salutes and turned, quickly making their way from the icy cold atmosphere that they had been stuck in for far too long at this point. Both white-haired officers watched them go, their eyes still gazing down the hallway as the lift shut and shot itself to it’s next destination. Then, starting slowly but growing quickly, they began to laugh - quite loudly.

Weiss managed to open the door, wiping a tear from her eye as the two stepped in. Winter clutched her side, rosy-faced and grinning at her younger sister.

“I-I haven’t seen a trooper as scared as that since training!” She wheezed, the cold demeanor slipping away from the both of them every second. Smiling warmly, Weiss walked over and hugged her sister tightly, the height difference slightly compensated as she stepped on her toes.

“I missed you.”

“And I’ve missed you, little sister.” Winter smiled, pulling her sister into her before holding her an arm’s length away, eyeing her up and down.

“You certainly bear title well,  _ Captain  _ Weiss Schnee.” Weiss smiled warmly at the praise.

“I got the promotion when I took three Rebel cruisers down with just myself and my men.”

“I heard the report on the holonet. I would have congratulated you, but father wished for my crew and I to stay dark while patrolling.” Weiss nodded in understanding, walking over to her desk and pulling out a small heating unit, kettle, and glasses, smiling at the woman.

“Shall I prepare some tea?”

“If you don’t mind, then yes, that’d be lovely.” Winter smiled, taking a seat in front of the desk. Her hands ran over the cold metal as Weiss moved about the cabin, humming softly. She twisted in her seat to follow her sister around as she worked.

“So has anything interesting happened with your crew as of late?”

“Unfortunately not.” Weiss sighed softly as she set the pot of water to boil. “The only thing of any note was a passenger pickup in deep space, just before touching down on Sullust. One of Vader’s people.”

“Ah. Inquisitor?”

“I thought so too, but she seemed to be more highly trained than that. A special operative perhaps.”

“I certainly hope the Emperor doesn’t find out, or one of our most valuable assets may lose his head.” Winter chuckled slightly. “They seem to be of a jealous race.”

“What do you mean?”

“Sith, dear Weiss.” Winter smirked mysteriously. “I’ve learned a thing or two during my time out here.” The younger captain turned, curiosity visibly peaking as she leaned against the small countertop she had been preparing the tea on.

“What sort of things?” Winter grinned, flipping in her seat fully to face her younger sister as she took on a graver tone.

 

“According to most, the Sith are old as time, part of an old race that eventually taught their powers to other species’ as well.” She chuckled slightly. “Though it would seem The Emperor and Vader are the last of that group.”

“What sort of power?” Weiss piped up, leaning forward slightly.

“Dangerous power. Very dark, and very old. It’s the kind of power that knows how to watch… and wait… until suddenly…”

Weiss suddenly yelped as the kettle popped behind her, a loud whistling signaling it’s readiness. Winter chuckled slightly as the younger woman quickly set about to prepare their tea. She nodded in thanks as the girl placed a warm mug in her hands, steam rolling off the top as she inhaled the aroma.

“It smells wonderful.” She commented, sipping at it. “Alderaanian?”

“It seems your time in space hasn’t dulled your sense of taste.” Weiss smiled, sitting down behind her desk and swirling the mug in her hands. She stared at the dark liquid for a moment before speaking up again.

“Does the package now residing in my cargo hold have anything to do with these Sith?”

“Hard to say.” Winter shrugged. “If it doesn’t have something directly to do with them, it definitely has something to do with Palpatine’s plans.” Weiss nodded solemnly, sipping at her drink. Winter let out a sigh, setting the mug down with a soft ‘clink’ and reaching forward to grab Weiss’s hand.

“Sister.” She said firmly. “I know you have your orders from the Grand A--- from father.” She looked as if she was struggling to find something to say when she finally settled on her words.

“Just… be careful. I have no doubt the Rebels are going to do what they can to get this package from you.” Weiss held Winter’s gaze, ice-blue orbs locking with each other as the younger girl’s face hardened.

“If they come… we’ll be ready.” She decided. Winter sighed and nodded, a soft smile on her face.

“Good. That’s good to hear.” A beeping suddenly sounded out in the office, coming from Winter’s commlink. She tapped a button.

“This is Schnee.”

“Commander. We’re loaded up and ready to go, and the payload is securely in the hold.” The filtered voice of a stormtrooper sounded through.

“Understood. Prep the shuttle, I’ll be down shortly.” Winter ordered before closing the channel, smiling apologetically.

“It would seem my time is cut short.”

“It’s alright. I should probably get this to… wherever it’s going.” Weiss shrugged, standing up. Winter handed her a small datachip, the device digging into her palm as she closed her hand.

“Follow the instructions detailed in that. You’ll be following a series of random jumps, picking your way towards the destination. I believe it’s Coruscant.” Winter pulled away, giving her sister a short wave. Weiss smiled and waved back, and her older sister turned away, the door shutting and hiding her from sight.

 

Weiss stayed in the center of the room a moment longer before sighing, walking around and flopping in the chair behind her desk, setting the chip on the table. She kicked up her legs, rubbing her temples soothingly.

_ Why did father get me involved in this?  _ She grumbled, thinking back to her brief conversation with the Grand Admiral. She cracked an eye open, reaching over to insert the chip into her terminal before scanning through the instructions. They were indeed headed for Coruscant, to the Imperial Palace itself. With a sigh, she opened a channel with the navigator. At least she’d be able to get some rest during the trip.

 

\---oo00oo---

 

The bridge had been almost silent since the captain had gone down to greet the commander, whose ship had just jumped into hyperspace. Still, Corin kept his ears open. You never knew what was going to come up.

As if one cue, the navigator’s comms terminal began beeping. Sighing, the officer moved for the station, tapping a few keys. The young man glimpsed Captain Schnee’s face flickering onto the screen, causing the navigator to salute. While keying in inventory, he cautiously eavesdropped on the conversation.

“---ollowing our departure from the outpost, we’ll be jumping to Tatooine. What would are ETA be?”

“About 2 weeks from now, captain.”

“Very good, Presley. I’ll be retiring in my quarters, notify me when we approach our first location.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Corin smirked to himself, keying in the last of the codes before turning and exiting the bridge. He needed to find a quiet spot to make a call.

 

The Rebel Alliance had to be informed of the opportunity presenting itself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thanks for reading the latest chapter! Sorry I haven't been uploading very often, I've been working a lot on my Big Bang fanfic! Let me know what you think!
> 
> (Also lmao I'm gonna write so hard when I see Rogue One next week that's gonna get the creative juices flowing)


	6. Boarding Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! I've been in such a high Star Wars mood lately, and things are really going to start picking up here! Hope you guys enjoy!

Blake examined the gleaming tunnel that the  _ Bumblebee  _ was soaring through, her amber eyes flicking over the mixed blues and blacks of hyperspace as her mind wandered. She knew only one thing about the mission - that she wasn’t ready. She knew there were variables at play, variables that she would have preferred to consider and eliminate before going on such a mission. However, the Alliance had been pressed for time. Rushing in was the only option available.

It didn’t ease her worries.

Sighing, she thought back on the previous day. Everything had moved so fast, and like a blur, she was here. Her mind stretched back through her memory to the morning before, remembering in vivid detail the events that had transpired, bringing her to this very moment.

 

\---oo00oo---

 

The briefing room was abuzz with quiet murmuring, rumors flying around the room. All the pilots, soldiers, and officers had been gathered with the same message - an opportunity had arisen. Ruby was sitting anxiously a row down from her squadron, her hands fidgeting in her lap as she waited to find out what this was all about.

The door slid open, causing the young pilot to look up, locking eyes with Yang. She noticed Blake was right behind her as the two moved to sit next to her.

“What’re you two doing here?” She asked. “This is a military briefing.”

“Goodwitch asked us to come too.” Yang shrugged. “Believe me, I’m just as clueless as you.” Ruby looked past Yang, noting the resigned silence on her face. She was about to ask her what she thought about the summons when a voice snapped out, loud and clear.

“Men and women of the Alliance, I shall keep this brief because we are pressed for time.” Ozpin announced, his cane clicking distinctly on the hard floor. Goodwitch followed close behind, oddly silent as the General sipped slowly at his ever-present mug. Finally, he spoke.

“One of our spies aboard an Imperial Star Destroyer has leaked important information to us. Apparently they recently made contact with another cruiser, which transferred valuable cargo to their hold.” A smirk danced on his lips as he chuckled softly.

“I intend to steal that cargo.” The room broke into more muttering, scattered clapping sounding out around the chamber. Ozpin took a step back, and Glynda stepped up to the large holoprojector in the center of the floor, sliding in a datachip into the machine and tapping a few keys. A large hologram flickered into existence, showing a floating model of a Star Destroyer.

“This is the Star Destroyer  _ Impaler _ , refueling over Tatooine _. _ ” She said sternly. Ruby noticed Blake’s ears flick to attention, but said nothing on it as the Admiral continued her  briefing.

“72 fighters on board, over nine-thousand troops in transport, you know the drill.” She tapped a few keys before bringing up a profile of a stern-faced young woman, flowing white hair tied neatly in a sideways ponytail. Something nagged at Ruby as she examined the face. It felt… familiar? She couldn’t place how, but she felt as if she knew her.

“This is Captain Weiss Schnee. Daughter to the Grand Admiral, she is known for quickly rising up the ranks due to a high amount of diligence and loyalty to the Empire. She’s been entrusted with the care of this cargo. Your first objective will be to find and capture her, after which you will have her lead you to the cargo.”

“What do we do with the Captain after we get the cargo?” A voice called from the back of the room. Goodwitch turned a pair of stern eyes on the source quickly.

“This is a two-part mission, pilot. Extract the captain unless there’s absolutely no other choice. Miss Xiao Long, we’re hoping you’ll go on the mission with your ship as means of transport.”

“Done.” Yang smirked. “Just tell me when.” Goodwitch nodded and turned her gaze to Blake, who managed to meet it unwavering.

“Miss Belladonna, we’re also wondering if you’ll accompany the team. Your skills and abilities would be most useful.” Blake stayed silent a moment, seeming to consider it thoroughly before nodding.

“Alright.”

“Excellent.” Goodwitch nodded, stepping back. “Commander Rose, I’ll give you some time to come up with a plan. We’ll reconvene for the briefing in one hour.”

“Thank you, Admiral.” Ruby saluted. The briefing convened for the time, and everyone began trickling out of the room. Blake and Yang stuck with Ruby, who gestured towards an approaching woman. Bright red hair flowed behind her, and her green eyes shone with warmth, a layer of tact and hardness rippling behind them.

“Blake, this is Captain Pyrrha Nikos. She leads one of our most capable infantry

squads.” Pyrrha smiled and took Blake’s hand in a strong, firm grip, giving the girl a sense of the power packed into her body.

“It’s nice to meet you.” The woman said in a rich tone. Blake smiled back.

“The pleasure is mine, miss Nikos.” The redhead shared a look with Yang, the two of them sharing a friendly grin before she turned to face Ruby.

“What do you need, Commander?”

“Is your squad good to go for another mission?”

“Whenever you need.” She saluted. Yang crossed her arms, a curious smirk dancing on her face as she leaned against the wall.

“What’s the plan, Rubes?”

 

The younger girl moved to the holoprojector, tapping away and pulling up the cruiser’s schematics again. A few more blips showed up, marking starfighters and the  _ Bumblebee. _ She stroked her chin as she thought out loud.

“Hm. There are two places the captain could be when we attack.” She gestured to both areas. “The Captain’s Quarters, and the Bridge.”

“Assuming she’s not checking on other sections of the ship, or is on the planet’s surface.” Yang chimed in. Ruby nodded solemnly as she factored in that point.

“We’ll have to risk that chance.” The girl shrugged. She tapped a few keys, the blips swarming the cruiser as the  _ Bumblebee  _ moved in closer, gliding under the Destroyer and slipping into its hangar.

“I’m thinking Rose Squadron should create a distraction, along with at least one support cruiser. While they’re taking the  _ Impaler  _ head-on, you’ll fly us - that’s you, me, Blake, and Juniper Squadron - into the Destroyer itself.”

“And then we split up.”

“Exactly.” The number of blips split into three groups on the projection, causing Blake to glance up.

“Three groups?” Ruby nodded firmly.

“I think we should take out the cruiser on our way out. Pyrrha, have Ren lead the rest of your team to the engine room. Place charges on everything that goes boom.”

“And where will I be?”

“You’ll come with me, where we’ll investigate the Captain’s Quarters.” She turned to her sister.

“You and Blake will take the bridge.”

“Roger that.” She beamed, flashing a cocky grin and a thumbs up. “We’ll take out those sons of bitches.” Ruby noticed Blake’s ears twitching anxiously again, and put it in the back of her mind. She’d ask her about it later.

“If I may.” Pyrrha opened politely, pointing to the planet’s surface, a few more keystrokes bringing up a map of the planet’s surface as she continued. “These are Imperial settlements on Tatooine’s surface. No doubt they’ll fly reinforcements out to the battle - that’s going to throw the battle out of balance if Rose Squadron aren’t ready for it.”

“My pilots are ready for anything. They’ll handle themselves.” Ruby reassured, looking at the faces of her friends and allies, faces glowing softly in the light of the projection. She saw determination and grit, if not a small grain of doubt. Still, she knew that everyone was prepared to give it their all.

 

“Well… I suppose we should get ready ASAP, right?” Yang asked. Ruby nodded, shutting off the terminal.

“That’s a good idea. Pyrrha, go brief Juniper about the mission.” Pyrrha saluted before quickly walking out of the room to pass on the news. Yang stretched, her back cracking with a satisfying ‘pop.’

“I might as well give the  _ Bee _ a once-over, make sure the weapons are calibrated right.”

“You do that. If that thing packs as much of a punch as I remember, I definitely want it up to full capacity.” Yang flashed a grin before walking out of the room. Blake made a movement to follow her when Ruby piped up.

“Blake? Is everything alright with you today?” The girl froze in her tracks, turning to face Ruby with as much calmness as she could put out.

“Of course. Why do you ask?”

“It’s just… I dunno.” Ruby muttered sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. “You just seemed… off during the briefing.” The faunus shrugged, glancing to the side as she crossed her arms.

“It’s… it’s nothing. I’m just anxious is all.” Blake gave a half smile to the younger girl. “It’s my first mission with the Alliance after all. I’m… not exactly used to working with other people.” Ruby nodded, gently placing a hand on Blake’s shoulder. She noticed the girl half-flinched away from her before relaxing.

“It’s alright. Yang was the same way when she started working with the Alliance.” She said, a tone of warmth in her tone that Blake was relatively unfamiliar with. It still shocked her every time she heard it, so long had she been used to cold voices and sharp commands. Ruby gestured for her to follow her as she began walking to the hangar.

“I was actually curious about that.” Blake said with an inquisitive tone. “Why didn’t Yang join the Alliance with you?” Ruby kept her gaze forward, shrugging as they walked.

“It’s… a long story.” She sighed. “But to sum it up, I kind of ditched her and dad to join. They both wanted to stay neutral in the war.”

“Why? I’d think at least Yang would want to take to the fight.”

“I think it’s because dad raised her like that.” The pilot frowned slightly. “The Empire… well, they killed my mom. A long time ago.”

“I’m… sorry.” Blake said softly, glancing down. Ruby waved her off.

“It’s in the past. Long story short, I couldn’t hold back anymore, and got off-planet as soon as I could. I didn’t hear from Yang or dad for over a year, and it was actually by accident that Yang started helping the same cell I joined.”

The girls emerged from the confined hallways of the base into the massive, cavernous hangar. Yang glanced up, waving at them as she examined the barrels of the massive cannons adorning the  _ Bumblebee _ . Ruby waved back, smiling at Blake.

“Well, I should go talk to my pilots. Take care of yourself, alright?”

“Alright.” Blake smiled softly. “Thanks, Ruby.” The younger girl beamed, gripping her arm reassuringly before running off towards a group of X-Wing pilots, standing out due to their bright-orange jumpsuits. Blake watched her go before walking slowly towards the freighter, her smile dropping.

 

_ If that captain recognizes me…  _ She thought to herself anxiously. Everything could be ruined in a heartbeat. She could not afford to be found out. Clenching her jaw, she made the conscious decision that if they came across Captain Schnee… she would be dealt with swiftly.

 

\---oo00oo---

 

The tension had yet to leave Blake’s body despite it being the following day. The hum of the  _ Bumblebee  _ hurtling through hyperspace vibrated gently under her feat, the gleaming, bright-blue tunnel before them shimmering brightly in front of her eyes. It was finally time.

The door hissed open behind her, Yang walking in while wiping her hands on her pants.

“Whelp, I’ve given my baby as much prep as she can take.”

“I hope it’s enough.” Blake said absent-mindedly. “Are the others ready?”

“Yup! Everyone’s ready to go. Ruby should be coordinating with the rest of Rose Squadron any second now.” As if on cue, the comms crackled before Ruby’s voice piped up.

“Alright, everyone! This is our chance to take the fight to the Empire for the first time in forever! We’ve got this!”

“You sure you’re gonna be okay in there, commander?” One of the voices crackled out. “You’re a helluva lot better out here than in that floating tin can.”

“Yeah. We’ve all seen you in the sims.” Another pilot joked. Ruby chuckled with them, shrugging it off.

“Alright, alright, keep the channel clean! I’ll be fine, and our team will be back in a jiffy!” Yang twisted around as she sat in the captain’s seat, hollering down the hallways of the freighter.

“30 seconds till we exit!”

“Alright everyone, get ready!” Ruby hollered. “Let’s show them what we can do!” A chorus of cheers sounded over the comms before the connection was silenced, the luminescent tunnel breaking away to reveal the desert planet of Tatooine, both suns gleaming over the horizon. The looming shape of the  _ Impaler  _ sat before the squadron, imposing in its massive size.

Rose Squadron locked their S-Foils into attack position as they drifted towards the cruiser.

It didn’t take long before the cruiser came to life, battery positions lighting up and swiveling around to bear their sights on the Rebel fighters. Streaming like a dark cloud from the underbelly of the cruiser came TIE Fighters, shrieking as they soared through the stars.

“All ships, attack!” Ruby called out. Immediately, the X-Wing fighters broke loose, scrambling from formation as the TIEs swoop down on them. The sky began burning with intense fire, greens and reds streaking over the inky dark sky. Yang yanked hard on the yoke, the  _ Bumblebee  _ swerving away from the general combat as Ruby burst into the cockpit.

“My pilots can hold them off for a while, but we need to book it to the cruiser.”

“Already on it, sis!” Yang smirked, punching the throttle as the freighter shot towards the cruiser. A few fighters broke away from the main fight, attempting to land a shot or two on the sleek freighter. They were met with fiery deaths as the domed turret on top of the ship pulled around, firing into them.

“Great shot, Nora!” Ruby called out.

“Just keep ‘em coming!” The ginger soldier shouted back, continuing her adrenaline-fueled frenzy. The freighter continued towards the  _ Impaler,  _ now required to dodge an onslaught of laserfire from the cannons. Nora’s and Yang’s combined firing efforts managed to take out a few of the turbolasers positions, Blake and Ruby both gripping the nearest stable part of the ship available.

A collective sigh of relief rose up as they ended up beneath the massive capital, the rectangular hangar bay approaching as they rose upwards. Yang began flicking switches across the board, a hum filling the ship as a pale shield flickered in front of them.

“They’re going to have gunner positions ready by now.” She warned the others. “Nora, get ready to take them out. Everyone else, be ready to board! We’re on a tight schedule here!” Blake nodded, making sure her lightsaber was secure by her side, ready to be drawn at a moment’s notice. Ruby checked the ammunition in her blaster pistol, cocking it back and aiming down the sights, nodding to Blake. As they came in view of the hangar’s opening, they noted the mounted blaster positions dotting the floor. At a word, they all began battering uselessly on the shield.

“Nora! Now!” Yang called out, positioning the ship for the soldier to get the best possible angle. Nora took the opportunity, firing a volley of high-powered shots at the stormtroopers on deck. By the time she let the cannons cool, the bay was nothing but a smoke-filled stretch of smoldering craters and dead Imperials.

 

It took some amount of skill to land the freighter on the pockmarked floor, but Yang managed to pull it off expertly, the engines whining down as the shut down the systems. The blonde sighed, standing up and double checking that her DT-12 was still faithfully by her hip. Reaching in the corner, she hoisted up an ACP Scatter Gun - old fashioned, yet powerful, as Blake noted by the heavy modifications to the firing systems. The smuggler smirked.

“Let’s get this done.”

When the three girls in the cockpit exited the ship, they found Juniper waiting outside for them. Ruby hastily introduced them to Blake.

“Blake, meet Nora, Ren, and Jaune, Pyrrha’s squadmates.” They all saluted before turning to Ruby, weapons at the ready.”

“Pyrrha briefed us on the mission.” Jaune said, hoisting up a satchel. “We have enough detonators here to blow this ship to Hoth and back.” Ruby smirked and saluted.

“Excellent. You head to the engine room. Watch each other's backs, they have more troops here than we have in the entire base.

“Understood.” Ren nodded, gesturing that he would take point and leading his team out of the hangar. Ruby turned to Pyrrha.

“We should get headed to the Captain’s Quarters.” Pyrrha nodded, waving goodbye to Yang and Blake.

“Let us know if you find the captain on the bridge.”

“Roger. Good luck.” Yang grinned, gripping the shotgun tightly before nodding to Blake. Ruby watched them run out of the hangar, the doors sliding shut behind them and hiding them from sight. Sighing, she turned to Pyrrha and gestured to a nearby doorway. Side by side, they began their trek through the massive inner workings of the capital ship.

 

“So how to do we get this captain to come with us?” Pyrrha asked in a soft tone, her A280 blaster rifle at the ready position in case they stumbled upon any patrols. Ruby glanced around the corner before gesturing for the redhead to follow her.

“Hopefully she’ll come peacefully. If she doesn’t, we’ll go to Plan B and stun her.” She glanced back apologetically. “You’ll have to carry her if that happens, since I’m not exactly as… physically adept as you.” Pyrrha nodded, glancing down at her comms to make sure nobody was trying to reach them.

Suddenly the younger girl’s fist shot up as they halted. She peeked around the corner, pulling back slowly.

“Patrol. They’re guarding the turbolift.”

“I’ve got it.” Pyrrha nodded, readying herself. With a lunge, she rolled into the hallway, coming up with her blaster aimed at the stormtroopers. Before the soldiers could even raise their E-11s, they were crumpled on the ground, smoke drifting lazily from a series of holes dotting their chestplates. Pyrrha pulled her rifle back, smirking triumphantly.

“Lead the way, Commander.” Ruby stared in awe a moment longer before shaking herself, standing and pushing forward with the older girl. They reached the lift, Ruby examining the pad with a sigh.

“We need a keycard. I’d bet that officers are the only ones who get them, too.”

“Can you get in?”

“I should be able to. One sec.” The smaller girl gently pried the keypad off of the wall, examining the wiring inside carefully. She chatted with the soldier as she began rewiring the controls.

“Did you pick up that stunt as a mercenary?”

“No, actually. That’s something I learned simply through being born Mandalorian.” Pyrrha shrugged with a soft smile. “We were all trained from a young age.”

"Do you ever miss your culture?”

“Not entirely. They were too… warlike for my tastes. Everything was another conquest.” She sighed happily. “It’s what I love about the Alliance. You fight for a cause, with an end goal in mind. You hold yourselves back.”

“Mm. Sometimes I wish that wasn’t as much the case.” Ruby frowned, sparking a pair of wires and causing the doors to slide open with a whoosh. She grinned and stepped in, Pyrrha stepping in after her. A few taps, and the lift was shooting upwards through the tunnel.

Ruby checked the ammo in her pistol anxiously, shuffling her feet as the lift continued upwards. Pyrrha said nothing, only gripping the barrel of the blaster rifle’s cool metal. The lift finally came to a stop, the doors sliding open and causing Ruby and Pyrrha to whip their weapons to firing position. The hallway stretching in front of them was silent as a tomb.

Carefully, they made their way down the corridor, not a soul in sight. Soon enough, they came to the large, durasteel door that marked the entrance to the Captain’s Quarters. The girls took positions in a breaching formation. Pyrrha placed a blasting charge on the door, glancing over at Ruby for confirmation. Ruby nodded.

 

The blast rocked the level, but managed to damage only the door and the surrounding wall. Ruby whipped up her pistol, Pyrrha mirroring her as the two burst into the smoke-filled room.

“SURRENDER AND COME WITH… us?” Ruby ended weakly as she glanced at the room. Velvet walls and a tidy office met them, trophies and medals adorning a case on the wall. There was no sign of the captain. The pilot relaxed, holstering her pistol as soon as Pyrrha confirmed the room was clear.

“Yang, she’s not in her quarters.” She said through her commlink. “Let us know what happens on the bridge.”

“Roger that.” Yang’s voice came back. “See if you can dig anything up while you’re up there.” Ruby glanced over at the holoterminal sitting on the desk, smirking.

“I’ll see what I can do. Over and out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the beginning came off as dialogue heavy, I've been trying to keep a balance. Also, I have a new fic coming up next week for the RWBY Big Bang challenge, so definitely keep an eye out for that! Until next time!


	7. Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Star Destroyer is... well, destroyed, and Weiss formulates a plan against rising odds

Yang pulled the commlink away, continuing down the hallway. Blake watched her quizzically.

“What was that about?”

“The captain’s not in the quarters. We need to push on the the bridge.” The smuggler shrugged, stepping over the shattered plastoid and slumped figures that remained of a stormtrooper unit. Blake nodded, her humming lightsaber sliding shut and finding itself back on her hip as the two made their way to the command bridge.

Blake pondered why they hadn’t encountered any other patrols since their most recent scuffle. She had expected swarms of armored troopers rushing their position as soon as word had gotten out. However, not a soul came out to meet them.

It made sense when they approached the bridge. Yang reached to hit the door’s switch when Blake gripped her arm.

“Wait! I sense something.” She hissed. Yang froze, letting the raven-haired Force-wielder focus. She stretched her senses out, feeling the dark, pounding energy on the other side of the door. In her mind’s eye, she saw stormtroopers and officers setting up defensive positions.

“They’re waiting for us.” She said grimly. “Three gunner positions, and every man and woman in there is hiding at a defendable position.”

“Shit.” Yang cursed softly. “What do we do?” Blake hummed in thought, crossing her arms.

“If we open the doors, we’re dead. I don’t think there’s another method of getting onto the bridge though.”

“Then we blast through.” The smuggler said in an aggressive tone, cocking the scatter gun into a firing position. Blake’s ears perked up at the blonde’s words.

“Actually, that might be best. Get a thermal detonator ready.” She instructed. As the blonde pilot pulled out a small, silver orb, Blake took a breath before igniting her lightsaber, thrusting it into the metal and slowly cutting through.

 

On the other side, the soldiers and officers shifted nervously as the flaring, violently vibrant purple blade slowly made it’s way into a circle in the durasteel entrance. Gloved hands clenched their weapons tighter, readying their trigger fingers for the intruders.

In a fluid motion, the circle was completed, and the door burst inwards, the thick plating slamming into a pair of troopers and crumpling the wall behind them.

“Open fire!” One officer barked, sparking an array of laserfire that arched towards the doorway, pelting the fresh hole and surrounding area with scorch marks. Amidst the confusion, Yang’s detonator rolled into the middle of the group. A female officer glanced down, her EC-17 dropping from her hand and clattering to the ground.

“Grenade!” She shouted out in a panic, diving for one of the technician pits. The room came alive as everyone moved for the clearest possible cover from the explosive device, several men and women still getting caught in the fiery explosion as screams of panic ripped from their throats.

The detonation expanded outwards, dissolving as it whipped through the circulated air of the bridge, leaving everyone groaning in pain and disoriented. Blake and Yang nodded to each other, stalking into the smoke-filled room. Blake’s lightsaber cast a flickering violet glow across the forms of the Imperials, humming dully in the ears of everyone present. Yang leveled her array gun in one hand, aiming her DT-12 in the opposite direction as her partner examined the room. Among all of the crumpled forms littered around the room, she couldn’t pick out the striking white hair of the captain.

As she walked around the room, she saw one woman quickly aim her gaze away. Her mouth gaped as she realized her stupidity. Everyone here had been present on the deck when she had arrived all those weeks ago. Anyone could look up at her and call her out.

_ I can’t let that happen. _ She thought darkly, glancing back at Yang as the smuggler picked through those present.

“Get back to the ship, let the others know that the captain isn’t here either.”

“Where could she be?” Yang asked as she holstered her weapons, reaching for her commlink. Blake turned back to the officer from earlier, her gaze still averted to the ground. She gave a cold smirk.

“I’ll find that out before I head back. Don’t worry, I won’t be long.” Yang watched Blake a moment longer, her long, dark shadow twisting on the wall through the smoke. She nodded finally, her boots clumping as she made her way back down the hallways. Blake heard the woman checking if Juniper had secured the cargo and set the charges, her voice fading out as she disappeared completely.

Once she was sure the blonde smuggler was gone, Blake turned back to the Imperial, crouching beside her.

“You recognize me.” It wasn’t a question, but the officer nodded anyway. Blake nodded, cupping the officer’s chin and tilting it upwards, meeting her gaze. She saw the fear in her eyes. She had seen it many times before, after all - she relished it.

“As I’m sure you picked up, my ‘friends’ and I are looking for your captain.” She purred softly. “Weiss Schnee. And as I’m sure you’ve picked up, she isn’t on the ship. So I’m going to make this very easy on you.” She hissed as she leaned in close.

“Where is she?”

 

The woman said nothing, lip trembling slightly as she came face to face with the woman before her, amber eyes gleaming in a cold, reserved anger. Blake tsked, bringing her lightsaber close to her face.

“I’ll count from five, and then you’ll lose an arm.” She growled. “Five.” The woman did nothing. She began inching her blade closer.

“Four.” The woman’s eyes glanced over, the shimmering blade reflected in shimmering orbs.

“Three.” The blade was mere inches from her cheek now, and Blake knew that she was beginning to feel it’s energy humming, on the verge of slicing into her.

“Two…”

“The outpost!” She finally choked out, clenching her eyes shut. “S-She went to the outpost on Tatooine!” Blake stared down at her, bringing the blade away from her face as she listened intently.

“Which outpost?”

“T-Theta 2K-38!” Blake gripped the officer a moment longer before dropping her to the ground, the woman trembling as she felt herself released from the Force-Wielder’s tight grip. Blake smirked, walking past the rousing troopers and officers, pausing to glance back.

“Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?” With a flick of her wrist, she hoisted up a blaster from the holster on her hip, the weight and shape of the grip feeling uncomfortable, yet powerful, in her slim hand. She cracked off it’s first shot, the recoil snapping her hand back as the bolt soared through the air, shattering one of the windows. She fire of two more rounds, the vacuum of space sucking out everything that wasn’t tied down, dragging the screaming forms of Imperials into the cold nothingness of space. She stayed a moment longer until the bulkhead defenses covered up the breaches, pressure normalizing. With that little detail taken care of, she made her way off the bridge, shoving down the dull, nagging feeling of uneasiness burrowing in the pit of her stomach.

 

“She’s on the planet.” She said over her comms, quickly heading back for the hangar. “Blow the charges, we need to head down before she gets a chance to escape.”

“Roger that. The ship is ready to go as soon as you arrive.” Yang’s voice crackled out in response. Blake rounded a few corners, the commlink signaling another channel. She heard a calm, collected tone, which she recognized as Ren’s due to a few brief interactions on the flight.

“We’re blowing the charges, and will be at the ship soon.”

“Do it.” Ruby acknowledged. Blake paused, bracing herself against the wall of the corridor. Seconds ticked by before she felt a deep tremor building into a shock wave, causing the entire ship to shake violently and triggering alarms across the cruiser. The lights flickered off before returning with a dim, red glare, an automated voice issuing evacuation orders over the intercom.

Pulling back, she brushed herself off before turning towards the turbolift. She muttered a curse as the button did nothing.

_ The explosion must have taken out the power to this section.  _ She thought to herself, examining the panel. It would likely take too long to reroute energy to the lift, leaving only one other option.

She pulled up her commlink as she ignited her lightsaber, driving it into the door and cutting.

“Ruby, can you direct me down this lift? I just need to know how many levels up I am from the hangar.”

“You’ve got it!” Ruby’s voice called out. It went silent for a moment before returning. “Just head down 6 floors and you’ll be there!”

“I’ll be out in a moment.” Blake confirmed before closing the connection. Stepping over the edge of the dark shaft, she took a breath before stepping off, her arm catching a ledge  directly across from her in the tube. Glancing down, the floor disappearing far below her, she gauged her next jump before dropping.

It only took a few attempts before she reached the door. Her blade popping out once more, she slashed through the doorway, forcing it open and stepping out. The  _ Bumblebee _ ’s engines whined, prepping for takeoff as she made her way towards it. Ruby stood in the doorway, a look of urgency on her face.

“Come on, we need to get out of here before the reactor goes!” Blake nodded, running up the ramp as Ruby shut the door behind her. She called out to Yang, the blonde bringing the ship to a hover before shooting out of the hangar. The seconds ticked by until finally, with a flash of light and a sound like thousands of thunderstorms combining as one, the Star Destroyer detonated behind them, the blast sending the ship rocking violently for a moment before the freighter stabilized itself.

 

Only then did a unanimous sigh set out through the ship as the tension eased up, the debris of the cruiser also leaving the TIE pilots shocked and vulnerable in the middle of space. A voice crackled through the comms.

“Commander? Our orders?”

“Take the rest of Rose Squadron back to base, Rose 2. The rest of us are going to find the captain on the planet.”

“Roger that, ma’am. Stay safe down there.” The pilot confirmed before the fighters turned, freezing before shooting forward into hyperspace. Relieved that her group had made it out, Ruby turned her full attention to the planet below them, the vast, sandy expanse growing larger as they flew towards it.

_ We’re coming for you, Captain.  _ She thought grimly.  _ And you can bet we’re going to find you no matter what it takes. Count on it. _

 

\---oo00oo---

 

Weiss huffed softly as she walked through the desert sands, wind blowing the dust and dirt around her ankles and coating her shimmering boots in a layer of muted brown. The harsh temperature change from the cooled interior of the dropship was made starkly obvious to her as the heat beat down on her without rest. The outpost was a welcome sight as it’s dark silhouette visibly popped against the setting twin suns of Tatooine. Suddenly, a deep rumble shook in the air, causing her and her trooper detachment to freeze in their tracks.

“I didn’t know banthas roamed this close to the base.” One trooper commented, causing Weiss to let out a sigh of relief. That was the logical answer, after all. Suddenly the sergeant - she believed his name to be Riggs, if her memory served her right - tapped her shoulder urgently, pointing upwards at the cool gradient of the sky above.

“Captain… the  _ Impaler _ ... “ he stated softly, causing the white-haired woman to jolt her vision upwards, ice-blue eyes widening in shock. Burning brightly above the atmosphere, the Star Destroyer was becoming enveloped in a growing fireball, debris launching itself outwards and burning up in fiery streaks across the atmosphere.

Minutes grew into hours as the fire slowly diminished, too little of the Destroyer left to fuel the blaze any longer. The young woman shook herself out of her stupor, whipping around.

“Attempt to raise any of our ships in the area. I need to know who made it out.”

“Yes, captain.” The trooper snapped a salute before walking off, frantically tapping on any comm channels that he could. She took a moment to breath, leaning against a large rock and attempting to force her mind to slow down as she thought about what this could mean. On one hand, she was worried about her soldiers. Countless men and women had been on board; most had probably died. She could only hope some of the TIE pilots had made it out of the blast range.

A more long-term concern was the cargo on board. She could see two possibilities. The first being that the explosion had destroyed her shipment, which would be sure to incur consequences - nothing worse than banishment to the Outer Rim, she was sure.

But she knew that this attack wasn’t random. They had to have known about the cargo, whatever it may be, and that must have been why they attacked.

Which also meant they had to know about her. Who she was. Who her  _ father  _ was.

 

She shuddered.

 

“I can’t raise anyone on comms, ma’am.” The stormtrooper said as he returned to her side. “Either the blast disabled comms, or… we have to assume the worst.”

“I figured as much.” Weiss sighed. Straightening herself and brushing her hair into place once more, she resumed the cold, professional demeanor as she pushed that knowledge to the back of her mind.

“We have to move. I have some suspicion that the rebels are tracking me down, and this outpost may have been compromised.”

“Yes ma’am.” The trooper snapped to attention as she began giving out orders again. “What’s the plan?” She hummed softly in thought, looking at the horizon.

“We reach a spaceport. Pay a large sum of credits to a less-than-reputable smuggler and ferry ourselves off-planet.”

“Why not use our own ships?”

“Because they could be calling in reinforcements.” She said, an edge creeping into her voice as the gravity of the situation began to wear down on her. “These insurgents are… unpredictable. If any ships in the area spot us, they may likely shoot us down without any hesitation.” She sighed. “ _ Thankfully _ , their preferred company is often comprised of these lowlifes and criminals. I have no doubt that we could slip past.”

Another soldier called from behind them, causing her to turn to find him slumped on a rock, datapad in hand. His gloved fingers tapped quickly on the screen as he read aloud his findings.

“The nearest spaceport is Mos Espa. It looks to be a day's travel from here.”

“Are there any settlements in between? I’d rather not risk waiting for the night to pass.” A few more taps before he nodded in affirmation.

“There seems to be a local moisture farm roughly halfway between us. This area isn’t the most heavily populated.”

“It’ll have to do.” Riggs confirmed. “We’re ready to move out when you are, captain.”

“Then we leave immediately. Gather the troops, and keep comms dark. I want this to go absolutely unnoticed.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The sergeant saluted again before whipping into action, barking orders at the other stormtroopers as they set up to begin their trek anew. A few grumbled in protest after having been so close to warm beds and decent food, and she was inclined to agree with them. Still, it was for the best.

_ It may be uncomfortable now.  _ She thought softly to herself, ice-blue eyes scanning the desert sands on the horizon.  _ But it’s worth it. I promise I’ll get you all out of my mess. I cannot… no,  _ will not  _ fail you again. _

 

She hoped that was true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gah... balancing two stories is hard.
> 
> Battlefront II was announced, and it looks amazing!! I'm so excited to see where the series is taken, I'm already much more excited over this one from their last entry! Along with the Rebels Season 4 trailer and the Last Jedi sneak peek, this is shaping up to be a good year for Star Wars! Looking forward to the future with all of you!


	8. Another Point of View

Blake’s eyes scanned the desert, the twin suns just edging over the mountains and casting long, foreboding shadows over the dunes. Night winds were beginning to pick up, sending clouds of sand swirling inches above the ground, causing the ground to shift before her very eyes. It would be near impossible to track down the captain out here.

_ I have to try.  _ She resolved silently, turning back to look at the expectant faces of Ruby and Yang.

“Do you have a ground vehicle of some kind?”

“I have a speeder bike in the hold.” Yang nodded. Blake smiled softly in thanks, climbing down the nearby ladder into the cargo hold as the smuggler followed close behind her.

“So what, are you going to go out there  _ alone? _ ” The woman nodded slightly, slowly bringing the bike towards the cargo bay’s entrance, hitting a button and causing the door to slant outwards, revealing the vast expanse of the desert to them once more.

“I’ll be able to track her better than any of you, and I’ll be able to move faster alone.” Yang huffed, leaning against the wall as Blake mounted the vehicle, starting the engine as it hummed softly.

“Well… just bring the bike back in one piece. I spent a lot of credits on that paint job.” Blake smirked and nodded at the pilot before turning back to the entrance. Setting her face, she twisted her wrist back, herself and the bike shooting out of the cargo bay and leaving the ship behind them.

 

The sand whipped beneath the repulsorcraft’s engines as it sped across the dunes. Blake scanned the horizon, seeing nothing but an ocean of browns turning to reds in the sunset. Taking a breath, she closed her eyes, casting her senses out over the vast expanses. Concentrating. Sending out signals, in hope that somewhere, one might bounce back.

_ There.  _ She thought to herself. A white spot amongst the sun-baked plains. The Imperial Captain.

_ Time to be reunited at last.  _ She smiles softly, pulling back the throttle further and sending the speeder across the desert at an even faster pace. It would take time to reach the woman, but she would reach her yet. And when she did…

 

She willed the speeder bike to reach her faster.

 

\----oo00oo---

 

The Imperial party marched ever onwards, Weiss and Riggs leading the party. She could hear their pants through the filtered speakers, the stormtroopers all showing signs of fatigue. Weiss herself had pulled her jacket off, holding it over her head as some form of shade. She envied the cooling systems in the stormtroopers’s armor, though she knew they were probably doing very little under the twin suns.

The sunset brought both comfort and concern to the captain. While it meant they would soon be relieved from the heat bearing down on the small detachment, it also meant that they would have less of a chance of noticing any rebels that may be approaching them. While she didn’t think they’d be able to find her pinpoint location, they could easily begin sweeping the desert from above. She prayed to the stars that they would reach the moisture farm soon.

As if the stars had heard her, Riggs signaled her attention from beside her.

“Ma’am. We’re coming up on the moisture farm soon.” He gestured to the horizon, drawing her attention towards a small shape rising out from the sands. The dome was familiar at this point, a common abode for farms like these on barren worlds like this. She let out an audible sigh of relief.

“That’s… excellent news, sergeant.”

“Shall I have the men prepare for a takeover?” The woman glanced sharply over at the emotionless mask of her companion, her face reflected back at her by his opaque eyes.

“What? N-No. We’re few in numbers, and can’t afford to make any more enemies.”

“Understood. Alternatives?”

“Just… let me talk to them. And take your helmets off when we get close.” She noted the extended stare the trooper gave her. She couldn’t tell if he was wearing a look of confusion or resentment, but he said nothing, instead looking back at the desert without a word.

It was far off, but eventually the homestead came closer into view. She signaled to the troopers, noting that despite any thoughts they may have had on the order, they all pulled their helmets off without complaint. It was disconcerting at first to see their faces under the masks. Even though they had shared a Star Destroyer for months on end, there was a constant-enough circulation of men that had made it nearly impossible to keep track of them.

She tore her gaze away from the stormtroopers and turned herself back towards the main building, the largest dome of the many scattered buildings around the farm. Gesturing for Riggs to stay a few steps behind her, she took a breath on knocked on the door.

A moment lader, it slid open, revealing an older man wrapped in sand-stained wraps. She instantly recognized the expression he wore on his weathered face. Distrust. She had gotten used to it in her career. Pushing past the sinking feeling that always came with it, she put on a gentle smile and bowed politely.

“Excuse us, sir. We mean you no trouble.”

“You say that, but you show up with armed stormtroopers. I know how this goes.” He said in a gravelly tone, like he swallowed a mouthful of the landscape every night before going to bed. She nodded again apologetically.

“Believe me, we have no intention of turning our weapons on you.” She glanced over at the sergeant before continuing carefully. “We were… attacked. We’re crossing the desert to find passage off-planet, hopefully without being traced by the enemy, but my men and I are weary and could do with rest, and food if you have it.”

The man looked her over, scanning her with sharp eyes. She couldn’t help but lock her body into place, holding herself for his gaze. Finally he nodded.

“My wife will make extra plates of dinner for you all. Feel free to store your armor in the barn. It’s the only space we have, but we can bring you bedding to make the night more comfortable.” Weiss breathed a sigh of relief.

“You don’t know how grateful I am for your hospitality, sir.”

“Don’t make me regret it, Imperial.” He said, a threat edging into his tone. He pointed the barn out to them, and without another word, he turned back into the abode, the door sliding shut behind him.

“That wasn’t as bad as I expected.” Riggs said with a sigh. Weiss nodded, turning to the the other stormtroopers and signalling for them to head to their shelter for the night. The sergeant fell into step beside the captain as they made their way over.

“No, it wasn’t. Sometimes it does take a polite approach to get the best results.” She mused thoughtfully. He continued to walk in silence, as if considering thoughts of his own behind the brooding, weathered face he wore as a mask. She paid no mind to the silence, simply moving forward and beginning to issue commands to the troopers. She had noticed things during their desert trek, things about the way Riggs commanded his troops. They reacted to strength, to control of any situation. Riggs had respect for his prowess as a fellow soldier as well as their leader.

It was so different compared to her command deck officers. They all had a joint mind, all thoughts shared under her careful watch of the  _ Impaler _ ’s bridge. She didn’t need to put on a show, or force their hand. She could be herself.

There was a pang in her chest as she thought of all the lives lost on her ship - lives she had been tasked with watching over. She failed them. She failed the Empire.

She shook her head clear of the thoughts. There would be time to grieve for her officers when the suns slipped past the horizon, and there was nobody to notice if she shed any tears. After all, she did have an image to keep up.

 

\---oo00oo---

 

The inside of the home was cramped with the eight guests. Each soldier, stripped down to their black undersuits, was elbow to elbow around the small table, hot plates of warm food and cool glasses of blue milk sitting before them. Weiss was seated next to the moisture farmer and his wife, the three of them easing into conversation. Weiss delicately picked at her food, popping a piece of food into her mouth and chewing slowly before speaking.

“I can’t thank you enough for letting my men and I stay here for the night.” She said for what must’ve been the dozenth time that night. The wife, Isla, gave a short nod, eyes flicking in a loop to watch the circle of troopers. The man, who she had learned was named Delur, merely grumbled, sawing away at a slice of meat and refusing to meet her eyes.

“What’s done is done. You and your band best be out of here by sunrise, though. I don’t want you around her after that.”

Weiss felt a familiar sensation bubbling inside her. It was annoyance, prickling in her veins like a spreading fire as she set her jaw firm.

“Excuse me, Mister Delur, but is there something we’ve done to offend you? We arrive with our weapons down, our men vulnerable, and treat you with a great deal of respect, and quite frankly, I find this behavior in return incredibly…  _ rude. _ ”

For the first time since they had arrived, the grizzled farmer smiled. It wasn’t some mirthful grin, though. It was wry, and weathered.

“You think that was peaceful, the way you showed up? Imperials don’t come in  _ peace _ , captain. They don’t know the word. The mere presence of your stormtroopers signifies one thing, and one things only - war.”

Off to her side, Weiss heard a stirring - Riggs had started to rise out of his seat, a fire of his own set into his face. She raised a hand to stop him, gesturing for him to remain in his seat.

“The Empire has done nothing but protect it’s citizens, citizens like yourself.”

“And what does it ask in return for this ‘protection?’” He scoffed again. “Taxes higher than even the Hutts dared to rise them. Random searches without warrants, and friends, close friends, led off to some holding facility on a desolate world?” Delur had raised from his chair, his voice rising. The young woman silently thanked all the confrontations she had witnessed between other grizzled old men, mostly at summits between fleet commanders while serving as her father’s protegee.

 

“And look at what they have done even to you.” He sneered, though she thought she sensed a hint of something more behind the action. Remorse?

“I don’t follow.” She said evenly.

“Y… You’re nothing more than a girl! Barely into her life, commanding soldiers and preparing herself to lay down her life for a leader the galaxy never sees!” He burst out. She stood up to meet him at this, letting a bit of the fire coursing through her body to show in her eyes.

“I’m older than you think!”

“In age, perhaps, but in your mindset? In the way you see the galaxy? You’re still a child.”

That did it. She could stand for political debate, but to insult her in front of her men, to insult her so  _ openly? _

“In the name of the Galactic Empire, you will stand down  _ immediately,  _ or I will be forced to---”

“That.” He said solemnly, the fire of debate fading from his eyes. All that remained was remorse. Sorrow. “That’s what I meant. They take the young, and they shape them, mold them, until they’re no longer youth, but tools ‘in the name of the Galactic Empire.’” She was taken aback, partially at her outburst, and partially at the sudden change in tone from the man. His legs wobbled, and Isla gripped him, easing him back into his chair. He took another drink from his glass before staring back down at the table.

 

Weiss noted the eyes on her, all of the troopers watching her carefully. She sighed and nodded to the door.

“Dinners over, men. Get to the barn, and get some shut-eye. We leave at sunrise.” The men murmured affirmations and began filing out of the room. Riggs cast one final glance at her before moving out of the house with his men. That left the couple and Weiss alone in the suddenly silent dining room.

Delur spoke finally.

“They… they drafted my nephew. Shipped him off, filled his head with ideas of grandeur, fighting for the glory of the Empire. Out here? They rushed training, and he was on a Destroyer headed to fight the Rebellion a few weeks later.”

“ _ Weeks?  _ Standard Imperial training should take  _ years _ at least.” She stammered, but he pushed on.

“My brother heard from them six months after that. We’d been receiving messages from him about his ship, his squad, his friends, and then one day they just… stopped. All we got was an official document stating that his patrol had been ambushed while stationed on some Mid-Rim world. No survivors.”

When he finally looked back at her, she could see past his hard, stone-faced mask, just for an instant. She saw the raw emotion behind him, the emotion that had been fueling his distant regard to the squad. He was hurting.

“Go to your men. Leave by morning. I’ll have no more of your presence in my home.” Weiss stood, looking down on him before nodding. She glanced over at Isla, meeting a similar gaze to Delur’s, and gave her another nod before exiting the home. She heard the woman whispering some sort of comfort to the man as the door slid shut behind the officer.

 

Weiss’s head spun as she left the confrontation. A heavy load weighed down on her mind as she wallowed through what the farmer had just told her. It wasn’t the first time she had heard such sentiments, of course. Many of the citizens she had bumped into over the years had been vocal about similar sentiments. More likely than not, she was probably being shook harder by this encounter than others due to the vulnerability they were experiencing through recent events.

Riggs glanced up from cleaning his blaster when the barn door slid open, announcing Weiss’s presence.

“Ma’am.”

“Sergeant.” She said quietly, giving a short nod as she walked past. He stood to face her as she moved to one of the cots that had been prepared for her.

“May I just say first of all, that farmer was out of line.”

“We’re in no position to argue with him.” She said dully.  _ Did my muscles really ache like this all day? _

Riggs spluttered at the comment, Weiss smiling at the uncharacteristic outburst.

“B-But captain! He… he  _ slandered _ the Empire without shame! Surely that’s due for some form of reprimand---”

“I said  _ leave it _ , sergeant.” She said, allowing some of her characteristic ice slip into her tone as she laid back on the cot, glancing up at the soldier. “What would that accomplish, hm? We’d be doing nothing but prove him right.” She closed her eyes and settled in with a sigh.

“The Empire is the way to a better future for all, believe me. However, we can’t deny that not everyone will be happy with it. Sometimes we need to hurt for the greater good. That’s life.” She said curtly before going silent, as if to signal the end of the conversation. She could feel Riggs watching her, unable to imagine the mixture of emotions that must be dancing across his weathered face before he turned to head to his own bunk.

“Good night, captain.” He said simply before his heavy footsteps moved away, the creaking of a cot signaling his own retirement. She let out a sigh of relief, rolling over to get more comfortable. She knew the soldier was upset with her decision, but he wouldn’t speak out in front of the others. He was too professional for that.

_ The Empire is the way to a better future for all.  _ She thought once more. Was she telling herself that for reassurance? Did she truly believe that?

_ I’m stressed. I need some time to collect my thoughts. Everyone has doubts about their government.  _ She tried to shut out her tumultuous mind. Tried breathing exercises she had taught herself for those first days on a rumbling cruiser. Though it wasn’t as easy as it once was, she soon found herself drifting off, her troubles melting away and allowing the chilling darkness of sleep to overcome her.

 

\---oo00oo---

 

“She’s been gone a long time.” Ruby commented softly, reclining in the seat and fidgeting with a spare piece of a mechanism that she had taken to fixing when stressed or, in this case, bored.

“She’s a Jedi. She’s fine.” Yang huffed, trying to make sure her head wasn’t being hunted by Atilla and his thugs. She cursed the amount of underground holochannels she had to skim due to Imperial regulation these days.

“I just feel like something bad’s going to happen.” The younger of the two sighed. The air fell silent for a moment before Ruby sat up suddenly, jumping to her feet and beginning to walk towards the door. Yang glanced over, frowning.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going after her. She needs backup.”

“In what? She took my speeder.” Yang scoffed. The redhead smirked as she glanced back.

“I know you have a spare.”

“...well how do you expect to find her?” Yang added after a moment. Ruby chuckled again, sliding a datapad with a map on it. A red blip blinked faintly.

“I took the liberty of tapping into the tracker you put on the speeder. You take after dad a lot more than you realize.” She snapped a salute before exiting the cockpit, the durasteel door sliding shut behind her. Yang let out an exasperated sigh, rubbing her temples. She did take after her dad, she realized - and she now knew exactly how he must’ve felt raising her.

 

\---oo00oo---

 

Blake had stopped the speeder at the edge of a cliff overlooking the moisture farm, staking it out and observing the camp stealthily. Her macrobinoculars scanned the silent buildings, not even a maintenance droid stirring down below. Good. The captain and any troopers with her must finally be asleep. Standing up again, she gauged the distance from herself to the ground, taking a breath and leaping from the edge. She sailed through the air without a sound before hitting the ground, cushioning herself with the Force and only emitting a soft thud.

Not daring to make a sound, she crept stealthily forward, lightsaber in hand. The nearest building seemed to be the barn - where she guessed the Imperials were hiding. She pressed herself to the wall, peaking around the corner.

She almost scoffed at the sight of a lone stormtrooper guarding the doorway. They really must feel secure if that was all they had watching the entrance. Deciding activating her weapon would cause too much noise, she simply held a hand out, focusing on the trooper. His boots lifted off the ground as he started clutching at his throat, causing her to only tighten her mental grip. His choked cries filtered through the helmet’s vocalizer before stopping altogether, going limp before she dropped him to the ground.

Moving onto the next task ahead of her, she walked up to the doorway, waving a hand over the door controls. The entryway slid open with a hiss, the troopers inside startling awake. The troopers nearest to the doors grasped for their rifles, Blake quickly dispatching them as her violet blade ignited with a  _ snap-hiss _ , illuminating the room with it’s glow. One man near the side levelled a sidearm at her, gritting his teeth.

“Jedi.”

“Not quite.” She smirked, lunging forward with her blade creating a glowing arc in the darkness. One of the soldiers tried to rush her, easily dispatched by the flick of a wrist as she flipped herself over his tumbling body, extending her hand forward and pulling two more soldiers with an invisible fist. The man with the blaster managed to fire off a couple shots, which she blocked with the soldiers in her grasp.

With a growl, Blake threw the corpses at the man, launching his blaster from his grip. Getting into a fighting stance, he threw a fist out with a primal snarl. She easily sidestepped the blow, bringing her hand up to cut him down when another trooper slapped her wrist back, the hilt flying out of her grasp. She glared daggers into the young woman, her hand shooting out to grasp her throat and flinging her at the man. He caught her, leaving an opening for her to call her weapon back to her hand and stabbing it’s blade through the figures.

 

As she stepped back from the stormtroopers, now crumpled together on the floor, she did a double-take on the rest of the room. Suddenly there was a great force at her back, sending her flying forward onto her face and making her weapon clatter against the floor.

_ Twice in a day. Sloppy.  _ She cursed at herself internally, rolling onto her back to meet her attacker. Gleaming blue eyes met hers, framed by a pale face and snow-white hair. She smirked, her smile faltering as she realized the captain had a sharpened vibroblade pointed at her throat. She reanalyzed the situation, and came to the shocking discovery that she was bested.

“You.” Weiss said simply, contempt spitting from her tone. “You attack me, slaughter my men - and something tells me you had something to do with the destruction of my Star Destroyer, correct?” Blake said nothing. Weiss simply glared harder, pricking her neck with the blade.

“And here I thought we were on the same side. I see now that you’re just another of Vader’s assassins.”

“You have no idea what I am.” The faunus finally spit out. Weiss smirked.

“We’ll see.” Before she could thrust her blade forward, blue rings shot forward, her eyes widening in surprise and pain. She crumpled to the ground, her blade clattering to the ground as Blake rolled out from under her.

Scrambling to her feet, she whirled around, lightsaber back in hand as she came to face her savior. She loosened up as she saw Ruby, blaster in hand and still aimed at the captain.

“Are you alright, Blake?” She asked, concern in her voice as she eyed the faint trickle of blood dribbling from the prick in her neck. Blake wiped it away and tried to give a reassuring smile.

“I am now.” She glanced down at the stunned woman before asking softly, “Did you… hear anything?” Ruby looked at her quizzically and shook her head.

“I opened the door and saw her with her sword at your neck and just… fired. Why? Did she say anything important?” Blake shook her head and quickly covered up her question.

“No, I just… there was a lot of yelling while I took out the troopers.” She gestured loosely to the bodies strewn about the room. The younger girl shrugged and hoisted the captain onto her back, binders around her wrists.

“That’s war. You get used to it, right?” She holstered the blaster and nodded towards the doorway.

“Come on. They’re waiting for us at the freighter, and we need to get Sleeping Beauty here to the base.” She turned on a heel and exited the room, leaving Blake alone in the barn. She gave the young girl a moment before punching a wall angrily. Things were worse now than they were before. If the captain talked, her cover would be completely blown. She seethed in the barn, trying to figure out a solution when a tiny voice whispered at the back of her head.

_ You can work this to your favor. All you need to do is to play to her favor. If she thinks you’re her way out, she wouldn’t dare sell you out… _

She realized Ruby was probably waiting for her and hurried out of the barn. She would have to plan it just right, but she was sure she could do this.

 

If she failed, after all, she had no doubt in her mind that Vader would do away with her without a care in the galaxy.


End file.
